Ben nails it on this one:
In the first quarter, 1.2 million of Bob's 2.2 million raised came from the RGA. Over half of his entire intake for the first three months of the year came from the RGA, which was chaired by Mark Sanford. That's before you even figure in this additional $750,000 which came in the next reporting period.
Bob has showed terrible judgment in coordinating his fundraising with the RGA. In 2005, McDonnell's late ads were financed by a shadow group that did not disclose its donors until after the election. Now this year- Bob is raising large checks through the RGA so he does not have to disclose the donors- he only discloses when RGA sends him the money in one big check.
I don't think McDonnell is responsible for what Sanford did, and I don't think he should return the money. However, he should not be allowed to act as if Sanford was some distant figure he barely knew- the Governor showing terrible judgment today is Bob McDonnell's Sugar Daddy on this campaign. Or at least the guy he laundered money through to avoid our minimal campaign finance laws.
Aside from the money connection, Bob McDonnell is another "family values" Republican who engages in
gay bashing but answers "not that I can recall" when asked if he's ever "violated the crimes-against-nature law." Sounds to me like Sanford and McDonnell are two peas in a right-wing Republican pod.
