Bob McDonnell Not So Sure About Mandatory Ultrasound Thing

Pardon me, but I'm a little annoyed. My colleague and fire-dancing partner Jess Dweck takes time out of her busy schedule to write about a Virginia law requiring women to get invasive ultrasounds before undergoing abortions, and now Governor Bob McDonnell is backing down like a wimp and saying the procedure can be optional…

"Mandating an invasive procedure in order to give informed consent is not a proper role for the state," McDonnell said in a statement. "No person should be directed to undergo an invasive procedure by the state, without their consent, as a precondition to another medical procedure." He did not comment further.

Make up your mind! Can women be trusted to independently decide whether to have a baby or not? It's kind of like asking if Americans can be trusted to consume adult entertainment responsibly, except the answer to that is obviously no.

And anyway, why would McConnell back down like this?

McDonnell, who is often mentioned as a possible presidential running mate, tried to strike a balance between supporting his conservative base and supporting a bill that immediately drew opposition as a severe end-run against abortion rights.

"Bob McDonnell's political future is not enhanced by vaginal ultrasound legislation," said Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington.

Oh.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tags: Abortion, Bob McDonnell, Men and Women, State Legislature, Virginia, Women's Rights