Holy Funding! McDonnell Drops Live F-Bomb
Even Bob's only human
By ASHA BEH
Updated 7:14 AM EST, Mon, Sep 14, 2009
Bob McDonnell. The Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate seems like such a clean cut, wholesome-looking, family man -- at least on those commercials he runs. In fact, he's so perfect looking, we were starting to think he was a robot.
But it turns out, even Bob's only human.
In an interview Friday morning on WTOP’s “The Politics Program with Mark Plotkin,” McDonnell dropped the F-word on live radio.
It was on the issue of tranportation funding, right after Plotkin asked McDonnell if he would “rule out … any increase in the state gas tax.”
McDonnell: “In this economy, Mark, uh, with, uh, in the midst of a recession, I think we cannot raise, we can’t raise taxes. I’ve outlined a number …”Plotkin: “That’s for your whole four-year term?”
McDonnell: “Yeah, I don’t think we ought to be raising that tax. That’s …”
Plotkin: “So no tax will be raised during your four-year term?”
McDonnell: “I’m going to find other ways to be able to be able to fund transportation. I’ve outlined twelve f--ing funding mechanisms that are creative, that are entrepreneurial …”
The swear word didn't seem to register with Plotkin, who plowed on with the interview like he hears that word every day. A
McDonnell's campaign spokesman, meanwhile, swears "it was unintentional."
"...Anyone who spends any time around Bob McDonnell knows he does not use such language," J. Tucker Martin said in an e-mail. "It was an unfortunate stumble over the words, and Bob McDonnell apologizes for the mistake."
WTOP Radio also said it believes McDonnell's slip of the tongue was "a simple stumble" and doesn't believe it's a news story, managing editor Darci Marchese told NBCWashington.
The gaffe also sent the press and PR arms of both Virginia gubernatorial candidates into high gear, with McDonnell's campaign accusing the campaign of his Democratic opponent, state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, of pushing the story of "...to every blog and media outlet they can think of" and Deeds' campaign denying any promotion of it, The Richmond-Times Dispatch reported.
"We're less concerned with Bob McDonnell's verbal miscues than his misguided plans to take $5.4 billion away from Virginia's schools" to fund transportation, said Deeds spokesman Jared Leopold.
The "blip" on the radio waves was first flagged by the Virginia Democratic blog NotLarrySabato.
First Published: Sep 13, 2009 7:31 AM EST
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