Pawlenty's support of Virginia candidate draws criticism

Democrats in two states are blasting Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty as he campaigns in Virginia today for that state's Republican gubernatorial candidate.

Pawlenty was scheduled to headline a fundraiser for Bob McDonnell and attend two other campaign events.

McDonnell has been trying to distance himself from the college thesis he wrote 20 years ago, in which he said that working women and feminists were detrimental to traditional families.

Despite McDonnell's renunciation of the paper, officials with the Democratic Party of Virginia and the Minnesota DFL are questioning whether Pawlenty shares the same views.

DFL Associate Chair Donna Cassutt says Pawlenty's support of McDonnell is concerning.

"He's out in Virginia today shilling for a closed-minded, misogynistic candidate, and really basically selling his soul to further his ambition, which is an affront to all of us who fought long and hard for women's equality," said Cassutt.

Pawlenty told reporters yesterday McDonnell wrote the thesis a long time ago, and that his thinking has evolved since then.