Recently, outspoken Delegate Bob Marshall (R-Prince William) stepped into a new controversy about one of his favorite topics: abortion.

Our media partner, The Richmond Times Dispatch, published a story that included a report by the Capital News Service. It quoted Marshall from a news conference last Thursday, saying, “The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children. In the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord. There’s a special punishment Christians would suggest.”

This has opened up a floodgate of criticism, with Marshall’s words appearing on blogs and websites, and even popping up on MSNBC.

Monday, the Times Dispatch reported that Marshall apologized for his comments. They quoted his website where a statement was posted that said in part, “A story by Capital News Service regarding my remarks at a recent press conference opposing taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood conveyed the impression that I believe disabled children are a punishment for prior abortions,” Marshall said. “No one who knows me or my record would imagine that I believe or intended to communicate such an offensive notion. I have devoted a generation of work to defending disabled and unwanted children, and have always maintained that they are special blessings to their parents. Nevertheless, I regret any misimpression my poorly chosen words may have created as to my deep commitment to fighting for these vulnerable children and their families.”

All of this made me think of my one and only interview with Del. Marshall. It was during his longshot bid for the Republican Senate nomination in 2008 against former Virginia Governor and Attorney General Jim Gilmore, who was also a former RNC chair and presidential candidate. Marshall almost beat Gilmore, but it wasn’t because he ran away from any of his more controversial comments or beliefs.

Below is the story I posted on wsls.com May 27, 2008. It’s a good read…

Delegate Bob Marshall was in Roanoke earlier this month to attend a prayer vigil at Hollins Road Baptist Church. It was part of his campaign to build grassroots support for his long shot US Senate bid.

“People always out fund-raise me, but they never get more volunteers than I do, and I’ve won,” said the longtime delegate from Manassas.
Marshall is running against fellow Republican Jim Gilmore for the right to take on Democratic nominee Mark Warner. Marshall has very little positive to say about Gilmore, calling him “blunt” and a “junkyard dog, 24/7.” He confidently predicts Gilmore can’t beat Warner in November.

“If he’s having this much trouble from a state delegate, I fail to see how Jim Gilmore can be elected.”

And while he says he differs with the former governor on several issues, it was abortion that got Marshall into the race.

“Why Jim Gilmore thinks he can win with saying that we can have legal abortion for 8 weeks, that’s 700,000 lives snuffed out,” he asked.
Marshall is pro-life and pro-family. He was the author and architect behind Virginia’s Marriage Amendment which won widespread support by Virginia voters in 2006. It’s now the law of the land.

In defending the amendment, Marshall was quoted in a Washington Post article saying, “A woman’s arm is constructed at a certain angle so that she can cradle a baby. This is the way we’re created.”

WARREN: “What does that mean? A man should not cradle a baby?”

MARSHALL: “No, but have you ever seen any female quarterbacks? To get down to biology a woman’s arm is constructed at a different angle than a man’s.” He went on, “There are parameters in nature that we cannot violate. If we attempt to do it, we do it at our own peril. Mothers are meant to be mothers and fathers are meant to be fathers. Families are meant to be for the benefit of all of us. If you play around with that structure then you are damaging human relations. You’re damaging happiness.”

Google Bob Marshall’s name and you’ll find a long list of controversial statements he’s uttered.

For instance, in that same Washington Post article on Nov. 4, 2006, Marshall is quoted proudly saying he is Virginia’s “chief homophobe.”

Marshall says the comment was “a tongue and cheek joke.” He claims a lot of people don’t have “a good sense of humor.”

WARREN: “Can you see how that would be offensive to some people?”

MARSHALL: “If you don’t have a sense of humor then a lot of things are offensive.”

And then there’s Marshall’s rant on the House floor about the Morning After Pill. It’s posted on YouTube.

Marshall said, “We have no business passing this garbage out and making these co-eds chemical Love Canals for these frat house playboys in Virginia.”
When asked about it, Marshall interjects “is this another sex topic?”

WARREN: “Well, if it is unfair for us to ask sex questions.”

MARSHALL: “It’s not unfair.”

WARREN: “Why are you legislating sex?”

MARSHALL: “The FDA did not go through the normal testing process for that pill.”

Marshall when on to say, “If you want to talk about abortion, that’s your obsession.”

WARREN: “Are we [the media] obsessed by it or are you obsessed by it?”

MARSHALL “I’m not a psycho-analyst, you figure it out.”

WARREN: “But you’re offering the legislation.”

MARSHALL: “And, I’m offering more than that, but you’re asking about sex.”

On the issues, Marshall wants to lower the deficit, balance the budget, curtail entitlements, and stop ethanol mandates to lower gas prices. He opposes embryonic stem cell research and is very pro-environment, having garnered the endorsement of several environmental groups over the years.

“This is the first time that I am to the right of Jim Gilmore and the left of Mark Warner,” he said.

Marshall says when approaching any issue he does a gut check on three levels: “the Virginia Constitution, the US Constitution, and families.”

That gut check led Marshall to be the only Republican to oppose the 2007 compromise transportation plan that created taxing authorities in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. Marshall felt so strongly about it, he challenged the law in court and eventually prevailed. The Virginia Supreme Court declared that portion of the plan unconstitutional.

“Remember we had a revolution over this, we were shooting the British. Civics 101: no taxation without representation,” he lectures. “If I latch on to something and think it’s a serious issue, you’re going to have to get Moses to come down and tell me he’s got a higher authority and I have to let go.”

His legislative record proves that out, particularly on social issues. In fact, it seems most debates for Marshall come back to the social issues. Take health care. His prescription for dealing with rising health care costs puts him back on the right end of the political spectrum. When asked if there are any real solutions to fix our health care system, Marshall said, “Part of it is the behaviors that Americans are engaging in that are resulting in more necessary trips to the doctor.”

What are those behaviors? His campaign website lists only AIDS and STD’s. We’re back to sex.

WARREN: “Why point out std’s and not also point out smoking, bad eating, that a lot of people would say are causing a lot more expense to our health care system than are STD’s?”

MARSHALL “Whether they are or are not, I don’t know.”

It’s those more controversial comments that Marshall has built his career in the General Assembly that could sink him in a statewide general election.
WSLS Political Analyst Dr. Bob Denton said, “I think it makes it very difficult. Those are the very kind of quotes that he will see in ads, in direct mail pieces. It will be used against him and clearly his legislative career has been defined by the social issues and primarily pro-life.”

The Republicans will pick their nominee in a convention to be held this weekend.