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Thursday, January 19, 2006

VA-Gov: Tim Kaine to Deliver SOTU Response

Posted by DavidNYC

According to Roll Call (sub. req.), the Dems will ask newly elected Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to deliver our party's response to the State of the Union address. Hamsher of FireDogLake thinks we should be tapping John Murtha, and I'm inclined to agree. I like Tim Kaine, and I think he's certainly a good choice. But I think Murtha is the better choice, because he's associated with an issue we really need to lead with, and because we need to strike while the iron is hot - Murtha was making waves not long ago. It might also give him a chance to (obliquely) hammer the newest round of Swift Boaters. But I'm guessing the decision has been made, and Kaine it will be.

Posted at 12:15 PM in Democrats, Virginia | Technorati

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Comments

I'm less of a Kaine fan than you are. The first thing I read about him after he took over the governorship was that he was signing a referendum bill for a consititutional amendment to protect (someone?) from gay marriage. His remarks about fighting for Democracy in Iraq turned my stomach. With Democrats like Kaine, who needs Republicans? Or, with Republicans, who needs Democrats like Kaine? Maybe this is the best we can expect in backward parts of the country but that doesn't mean we make him a national spokesperson. Who picked him to answer the State of the Union anyway?

Posted by: DownWithTyranny at January 20, 2006 01:42 AM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Hm maybe they picked him because he can't run for reelection and doesn't have to worry about it. Still i agree i would have much rather had somebody else that was more to the left.

Posted by: D in FL. at January 20, 2006 07:53 AM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

This is the guy who used a gay-baiting campaign against his opponent Jerry Kilgore (Kaine radio ads made allusions to Kilgore being "weak"). Meanwhile he raised big money from the gay community - and now he's throwing them off the bus. I got my take here:

http://lloydletta.blogspot.com/2006/01/heat-is-on-anti-gay-democratic.html
http://lloydletta.blogspot.com/2006/01/anti-gay-democrat-chosen-to-give.html

Dan a Kaine constituent fired off this letter to him:

http://homepage.mac.com/dredding/iblog/C56076171/E20060121090246/index.html

Shakespeare's Sister and Pam Spaulding are both furious:

http://pandagon.net/2006/01/20/ugh-dem-tim-kaine-tapped-for-response-to-sotu/

http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2006/01/anti-gay-dem-tim-kaine-tapped-for.html

PageOneQ has excerpts from the announcement in the registration restricted RollCall:

National Democratic leaders today will ask Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) to deliver the party’s response to the president’s State of the Union address, believing that the new governor can best deliver their 2006 message of inclusiveness, American values and high ethical standards.

Sources said that Senate and House Minority Leaders Harry Reid (Nev.) and Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who chairs the Democratic Governors’ Association, plan to call Kaine today to offer him the assignment. Kaine was sworn in as Virginia’s governor last weekend, succeeding fellow Democrat Mark Warner, under whom he served as lieutenant governor.

A Democratic House aide called choosing Kaine “a no-brainer,” adding that the new governor also provides a fresh face for a party running on a message of change and reform.

Kaine is viewed as one of the Democrats’ strongest examples of how the party can appeal to an electorate even in a conservative state. Kaine ran on an independent-minded, value-themed message during his hard-fought campaign against Republican Jerry Kilgore.

Another Democratic source said that Kaine “just got elected on a winning message. He talks about values and serving all the people. Certainly, as Democrats, that’s one of our themes. We represent all Americans from all walks of life, not the wealthy special interests that the Republicans represent.”

Really? Americans from all walks of life? See, because, I happen to consider the LGBT community part of America, too, and how, exactly, does someone who ran an unnecessary gay-baiting campaign against the even more odious homobigot Kilgore in the Virginia governor's race, and who has pledged to sign off on an onerous marriage amendment that enshrines bigotry into the state's constitution, best represent them?

Posted by: lloydletta at January 21, 2006 12:11 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Down with Tyranny -- I think you're mistaken about our new Gov Kaine, both the "facts" you cite and your general concern. Re the facts, one of the first actions he took on being sworn in was to issue an order protecting the rights of gay state employees. There is a GOP-sponsored state Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage working its way to a vote, but that's not Kaine's doing. He made his mark in the campaign by standing up for groups the GOP was attacking, like immigrants. He's a moderate/liberal who won in a red state, the kind of candidate we'll need to kick out the Bushies. He's a shining example of the future of the Democrats, if we're ever able to get back into power to actually do something to help people, not just write messages back and forth to each other! Also, please cut out the stuff about "backward parts of the country;" first, you've got your facts wrong again; Northern Virginia in particular is not only economically thriving, it's a well-educated, tolerant area. Also, this kind of throw-away line is insulting and condescending; it's one reason people walk away from Democrats who they might otherwise listen to. Let's win on the issues!
TG in VA

Posted by: TG in VA at January 28, 2006 06:45 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment