Virginia delegate fights controversy over abortion remarks
Thursday, February 25th, 2010Says VCU students twisted his meaning; VCU stands by its story
Recordings of Marshall’s remarks posted on the Web
From the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, WTKR Norfolk, Virginia Commonwealth University, AP/[Newport News] Daily Press:
Virginia Del. Bob Marshall turned aside calls for his resignation Wednesday and attempted to distance himself from recorded remarks that have been construed as saying that a woman who has an abortion runs the risk of birth defects in later pregnancies as a punishment from God.
Addressing his colleagues in the Virginia General Assembly, Marshall called for a correction from journalism students at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Mass Communications. Jeff South, an associate professor of journalism who oversees the school’s Capital News Service, said VCU stands by its report “as a fair and accurate account of the press conference that Del. Marshall held last Thursday.”
The school’s website and Marshall’s website both carried recordings and transcripts of Marshall’s remarks, delivered last week at a press conference organized against public funding for Planned Parenthood.




