McDonnell may referee GOP split at national convention

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell often sidesteps thorny social debates in favor of kitchen-table concerns, but at the Republican convention in Tampa, Fla., he may find himself playing referee in a showdown between the conservative and the establishment wings of the party.

In his new role as chairman of the Committee on Resolutions, McDonnell will help shape the GOP platform at a time when the party’s right wing wants reassurance that presumptive nominee Mitt Romney won’t renege on his conservative promises.