The Examiner‘s editorial board spoke yesterday with former Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell, the Republican candidate for governor. After a wide-ranging discussion on various issues in the race, we asked McDonnell about the recent controversy regarding his master’s thesis from 1989. Although it has not put a dent in his poll numbers yet, the Washington Post has been working hard to make the issue central to the campaign.

When we asked McDonnell exactly how he has changed in the 20 years since he wrote the 70-page document, he offered a very lengthy answer. Although he disavowed some of the more incendiary assertions he had made in the thesis, he also stuck to his guns regarding the central thesis of the paper. What follows is a partial transcript of his thoughts on the subject.