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Speaking on WTOP today, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell insisted that a bill that would mandate ultrasounds “protects the dignity of women” by “providing them with all the information” before they choose to get an abortion.

“Before a woman makes one of the most important decisions of her life, let’s give the woman all the information she would want and need. Let’s also make sure we can ‘pinpoint’ the fetus’ gestational age. Now it’s about ‘Do you want the woman to have all the information, or not?'”, he said on WTOP’s Ask the Governor this morning.

Of course, a WTOP reporter was quick to remind McDonnell that it was just three months ago that he said that airport security pat-downs were a step too far:

McDonnell told WTOP in November that TSA airport body scans are “probably over the line,” in regard to “people’s concerns about their privacy.”

When asked on Tuesday if these approaches were contradictory, he maintained there are ways to maintain security at an airport without invasive security procedures…

WTOP’s headline might say it all: “Va. gov. supports abortion ultrasounds, denounces TSA scans.”

Under national pressure last week, McDonnell and Virginia House Republicans scrapped a provision that would have required invasive transvaginal ultrasounds for any woman seeking an abortion; under a version of the bill that was approved by the Senate today and will be sent to McDonnell for his signature, only a standard “jelly on the belly” ultrasound would be required.