Beltway Bromance Produces The President’s Biggest Yes Man, Tim Kaine, On Either Side Of The Potomac

OBAMA: “I Don’t Know If Those Rumors Are True, But What I Do Know Is That I Cannot Imagine Someone Who Has Been A Better Partner To Me, A Better Friend. Should He Choose To Do So, He Would Be An Outstanding Senator For The Commonwealth Of Virginia.” (Bonney Kapp, “Obama + Kaine: Mutual Admiration Society,” CNN’s “The 1600 Report,” 3/29/11)

IF OBAMA SAYS JUMP, KAINE WILL ASK HOW HIGH?

Kaine And Obama Are Inseparable:

Democrats Say If Kaine Runs For Senate In Virginia, It Will Be Because Obama Asked Him To. “Kaine is not expected to say anything on his interest (or lack thereof) today. Several informed Democratic sources suggested, however, that Kaine would likely only run if President Obama himself asked him to do so. It’s not clear whether Obama would do that although he and Kaine do have a long and close relationship. (Kaine was the first major elected official to support Obama’s presidential bid.)” (Chris Cillizza, “Jim Webb’s Retirement (And What It Means),” The Washington Post’s The Fix Blog, 2/9/11)

“[B]y All Accounts, Kaine And Obama Are As Close As Two Politicians Can Be.” (Chris Cillizza, “The Case For Tim Kaine,” The Washington Post’s The Fix Blog, 7/9/08)

• “The Two Men Formed An Instant Bond – both had roots in small-town Kansas, both had attended Harvard Law School, both spent considerable time in the private sector before entering politics.” (Chris Cillizza, “The Case For Tim Kaine,” The Washington Post’s The Fix Blog, 7/9/08)

“Kaine Endorsed Obama’s Candidacy Just A Week After The Then-Illinois Senator Formally Entered The Presidential Race In 2007.” (Michael Sluss, “A Term Of Crisis: Gov. Tim Kaine Exit Interview,” The Roanoke Times, 1/3/10)

• “Kaine Was The First Major Elected Official To Support Obama’s Presidential Bid.” (Chris Cillizza, “Jim Webb’s Retirement (And What It Means),” The Washington Post’s The Fix Blog, 2/9/11)

“[T]here Was Another Prominent Virginian On Stage Who Had Clearly Won Obama’s Heart: Gov. Tim Kaine, One Of His Earliest High-Profile Supporters. ‘There was one person, who about three days after I announced, was willing to stand with me in the seat of the old Confederacy … and say that the time for change has come,’ Obama said.” (Shailagh Murray, “Obama Praises Webb And Kaine,” The Washington Post’s The Trail Blog, 6/5/08)

• Obama On Kaine: “There are a lot of people who are your allies, and a lot of people who you’ve got commitments to. But you don’t always have a lot of friends. The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia is my friend.” (Shailagh Murray, “Obama Praises Webb And Kaine,” The Washington Post’s The Trail Blog, 6/5/08)

“[Kaine] Spoke Effusively About Obama’s Personal Charisma And Abilities. ‘Sen. Obama Is Just In A Completely Different Category Than Anybody I’ve Ever Stood On A Stage With,’ Kaine Said In The Jan. 31 interview.” (Michael D. Shear, “Kaine To Back Obama’s Bid For Democratic Nomination,” The Washington Post, 2/15/07)

• KAINE: “There Is Just A Feeling Of, You Know, Kind Of A Projection Of Hope On Him From An Audience That Is Just Unreal. It’s Unreal.” (Michael D. Shear, “Kaine To Back Obama’s Bid For Democratic Nomination,” The Washington Post, 2/15/07)

“‘Having A Close Relationship With The President Doesn’t Have A Downside For Virginia,’ Kaine Insisted. ‘I Don’t Get Anything I Ask Because I Ask It, But I Do Get To Ask The Decision-Makers Directly.’” (Michael Sluss, “A Term Of Crisis: Gov. Tim Kaine Exit Interview,” The Roanoke Times, 1/3/10)

KAINE: WRONG ON OBAMACARE

Kaine Touted His Love For ObamaCare:

KAINE: “[T]his Is Going To Be Great For Democrats. You Know, I’ve Been On A Ballot Seven Times And Won Seven Races. I Would Love To Be Running On This, And I Think The Extreme Nature Of The Rhetoric Just Shows How Worried The Other Guys Are.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 3/21/10)

Kaine Said “Health Care Reform Is Going To Go Down In History As One Of The Great Achievements Of This President.  And It’s Not Unrelated To The Economy.”  KAINE: “Well, Ed, I think health care reform is going to go down in history as one of the great achievements of this president.”  (CNN’s “State Of The Union,” 1/2/11)

In 2010, Kaine Said He Wanted To Be Out On The Campaign Trail Promoting Obamacare. KAINE: “[L]et me, let me focus on it, because I think you’ve asked an excellent question. Will the campaigns of 2010 be heavily focused on health care? You will have the Republican Party campaigning to repeal this historic health bill that will pass. You’ll have me and my team out promoting it. I want to have that campaign.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 1/10/10)

Kaine Said He Was A “Strong Believer” That Obamacare Was “The Right Thing To Do” And That It Would Bear “Positive Fruit For The American Public For Generations Going Forward.” KAINE: “I am a strong believer that the health care bill was the right thing to do, and I think it`s going to be very, you know, positive fruit for the American public for generations going forward. It will shift and change, just like Social Security doesn`t look today like it did when enacted. But I think when you have the opportunity, you should do big things.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 11/2/10)

Kaine Said Virginia Would Benefit From Obamacare. KAINE: “I think Virginia stands to benefit, much as do other American states, from finally passing meaningful healthcare reform.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 1/10/10)

Virginia Medical Providers And Services Disagree:

Virginia Cardiologist Says Medicare Cuts Will Force Him, Other Small-Town Doctors To Close Their Offices. “The cuts would be ‘impossible’ for some small-town cardiologists who rely on Medicare patients, said Zia Roshandel, a heart doctor in Culpeper, Virginia. The town of 10,000 people is about 60 miles southwest of Washington … If the proposal stands, ‘the bottom line is I’m going to close the office,’ he said. ‘This is impossible for me to survive.’” (Alex Nussbaum & Lisa Rapaport, “Cardiologists Crying Foul Over Obama Medicare Cuts,” Bloomberg, 8/28/09)

A Report By Virginia’s Department Of Medical Assistance Services Found That The Expansion Of Medicaid As A Result Of Obamacare Will Cost As Much As $2.2 Billion To Virginia Taxpayers. (“Medicaid Reform In Virginia: Eligibility And Benefits Under PPACA,” Virginia Department Of Medical Assistance Services, 11/9/10, p. 10)

Virginia Businesses Disagree:

Virginia Small Business Owner Says Health Care Bill “Detrimental To The Incentive To Grow And Provide Jobs For People.” “Karch, for example, said 95 percent of the staff at Home Instead Senior Care work part time, but he technically has more than 50 full-time equivalent employees. He said he doesn’t know if that means he has to provide health insurance for all his employees or just those who work full time. If part-timers are included, he said he’d either have to shut down or raise his rates. ‘As a small business owner, I definitely feel this legislation is detrimental to the incentive to grow and provide jobs for people, especially people that, for a variety of reasons, can only work part time,’ Karch said.”  (Cathy Jett, “Reform Getting Mixed Reviews,” The Free Lance Star, 4/3/10)

Virginia’s Norfolk Southern Took A $27 Million Charge For New Health Care Costs. “Norfolk Southern Corp. has announced it will pay about $27 million more in expenses for the first quarter of the year as a result of federal health care legislation signed last month. ‘Under the new legislation, to the extent the corporation’s future health-care drug expenses are reimbursed under the Medicare Part D retiree drug subsidy program, the reimbursed expenses will no longer be tax deductible after 2012,’ the company stated in a filing Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission” (Robert McCabe, “Norfolk Southern To Pay $27M More After Health Care Bill,” The Virginian-Pilot, 4/8/10)

Richmond, VA-Based Brink’s Took A $14 Million Hit From ObamaCare. “The Brink’s Company, a global leader in security-related services, reported a first-quarter loss from continuing operations of $5 million ($.10 per share) versus income of $22 million last year ($.48 per share). Results include an income tax charge of $14 million ($.28 per share) related to recently enacted U.S. healthcare legislation.” (The Brink’s Company, “Brink’s Reports First-Quarter Results,” Press Release, 4/29/10)

The Richmond Times-Dispatch, Kaine’s Hometown Paper, Disagrees:

The Richmond Times-Dispatch: The “Problem” Is Not The Complexity Of The Law, But “That The Law Stinks.” “The problem is not that people just don’t understand a complex law, or even that — as a recent AP story spun it — Obama ‘has yet to find the right wavelength for communicating information that’s relatively straightforward.’ After all, congressional Democrats conceded they didn’t understand what was in the bill, either. But that didn’t keep them from voting for it. The problem is that the law stinks.” (Editorial, “Health Care: ‘You Dummies,’” The Richmond Times-Dispatch, 9/27/10)

The Richmond Times-Dispatch: ObamaCare Causing Higher Health Care Costs, Higher Deficits, and Higher Taxes. “The critics’ predictions — it’s going to raise health care costs, the deficit, taxes, and insurance premiums, make getting medical care more complex, and help fewer people than advertised — are coming true already. Members of the public understand this all too well.” (Editorial, “Health Care: ‘You Dummies,’“ The Richmond Times-Dispatch, 9/27/10)

Which Explains Why Kaine’s Own State Is Leading The Constitutional Charge Against ObamaCare:

Virginia Is Leading The Constitutional Charge Against ObamaCare. “Virginia’s lawsuit challenging the Obama administration’s health care reform law has cleared its first legal hurdle. U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson on Monday denied the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.” (Michael Felberbaum, “VA Health Care Reform Lawsuit Clears 1^st Hurdle,” The Associated Press, 8/2/10)

KAINE: WRONG ON OBAMA’S STIMULUS

Kaine Was Wrong On The $821 Billion Stimulus:

Kaine: The Stimulus’ Infrastructure Spending Will Create Jobs. KAINE: “The stimulus package, with the infrastructure spending that will put Americans back to work, and focus on key transportation projects, will give Virginia the kinds of money that we could use to complete the Fairfax Parkway, serve this agency, and serve the neighbors. And just in terms of its economic effect right here on this project, we could add hundreds of on-site construction jobs. We could add up to 2,000 indirectly related jobs in the aggregate, equipment, fabrication and utilities industry that support construction. About $70 million of economic effect locally will improve direct interstate access for these businesses and residents, and will serve this national critical agency. That’s just an example of what one project can do that could be funded under this stimulus plan.” (CNN’s “CNN Newsroom,” 2/11/09)

• Kaine: The Stimulus Was “Critically Important.” “And so, this stimulus is critically important to put people back to work and to help with unemployment benefits so we can, you know, rehire some of the workers that are needed to process unemployment claims from all these Americans who are out of work.” (CNN’s “American Morning,” 2/10/09)

FACT CHECK: 2.1 Million: Number Of Jobs Lost Since The Stimulus Was Passed.  (U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 4/4/11)

• CBO Now Says The Cost Of Obama’s Stimulus Is $821 Billion. “CBO now estimates that the total impact over the 2009–2019 period will amount to $821 billion.” (Congressional Budget Office, “Estimated Impact Of The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act On  Employment And Economic Output From October 2010 Through December 2010,” 2/11, p. 1)

KAINE: PROUD LIBERAL

Kaine: Any Democrat Who Doesn’t Agree With Leadership is “Crazy”:

KAINE: “Democrats Who Are Kind Of Afraid Of To Be Who They Are, Or Who Are Pushing Back On The Leaders – I Think They’re Crazy.” (Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” 8/13/10)

Kaine: Nowhere In America Is Obama Not Helpful To Democrats:

KAINE: “I Don’t Think There’s A Place Where The President Isn’t Helpful…” (Mike Allen, “Tim Kaine: Democrats Still Have ‘Mojo,’” Politico, 8/11/10)

Kaine Has Called Himself A “Proud” Liberal; Media And Pundits Agree:

Kaine In 1994: “I’m A Liberal And Proud Of It.” (Melanie Scarborough, Op-Ed, “The Candidate Offers Words To Waffle By,” The Washington Post, 5/8/05)

Larry Sabato, Director Of The Center For Politics At The University Of Virginia: “Tim Kaine Is Arguably The Most Liberal Governor Virginia Has Ever Elected…” (Scott Shepard and Ken Herman, “Centrist Strategy Worked In Virginia, Analysts Say,” Cox News Service, 11/9/05)

Richmond [VA] Times Dispatch’s Ross Mackenzie: “Kaine Also Tries To Present As The Centrist He Is Not. He Is A Liberal, No Question…” (Ross Mackenzie, Op-Ed, “Views From The Bleachers And A Stint On The Campaign Trail,” Richmond [VA] Times Dispatch, 11/3/05)

The [Norfolk] Virginian-Pilot Editorial: “Kaine Had A Far Stronger History Of Liberal Activism Than Warner On Several Counts.” (Editorial, “Virginians Steer A Pragmatic Course,” The [Norfolk] Virginian-Pilot, 11/9/05)

Kaine’s Effusive Praise For Former Speaker Of The House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA):

Kaine: Pelosi Has Accomplished “Countless Achievements On Behalf Of The American People.” “Four years ago, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi opened a new chapter in history when she became the first female Speaker of the House.  In the time since, she has filled the pages of that chapter with countless achievements on behalf of the American people.” (Josh Cohen, “Chairman Tim Kaine Commends Nancy Pelosi For ‘Historic’ Tenure As House Speaker,” Democrats.org, 1/4/11)

Kaine: Pelosi Made The U.S. House Of Representatives “The ‘People’s’ House Again.”  “Under Speaker Pelosi’s leadership, the House of Representatives became the ‘people’s’ House again – pursuing policies that put middle class families, students, workers, parents, children and seniors first.”  (Josh Cohen, “Chairman Tim Kaine Commends Nancy Pelosi For ‘Historic’ Tenure As House Speaker,” Democrats.org, 1/4/11)

Kaine: “As People Soon Learned, Speaker Pelosi Was Savvy, Tough And Arguably More Successful In Pursuit Of Her Policy Goals Than Virtually Any House Speaker Who Came Before Her.” (Josh Cohen, “Chairman Tim Kaine Commends Nancy Pelosi For ‘Historic’ Tenure As House Speaker,”Democrats.org, 1/4/11)

Kaine: Pelosi’s Achievements Have “Fundamentally Improved The Quality Of Life For Americans Across The Country.” “What Speaker Pelosi and Democrats achieved over the past four years has fundamentally improved the quality of life for Americans across the country, and has restored the promise of the American Dream for millions of Americans and their families.“ (Josh Cohen, “Chairman Tim Kaine Commends Nancy Pelosi For ‘Historic’ Tenure As House Speaker,” Democrats.org, 1/4/11)

Kaine: Pelosi “Has Done A Very Good Job.” “Kaine praised Pelosi, saying she ‘has done a very good job of accomplishing things that I think will be very well regarded in history in terms of speakers who’ve been able to get big things done.’” (Josh Bresnahan, “Kaine Taking VA Losses ‘Personally,’” Politico’s “House Races 2010” Blog, 11/2/10)

“When Asked If Speaker Nancy Pelosi Should Remain In Democratic Leadership When Her Party Becomes The Minority, Kaine Spoke Her Praises. ‘If She Wants To She Definitely Should.’” (Brian Buetler,  “Kaine: Dems Will Lose The House,” Talking Points Memo [DC], 11/2/10)

KAINE: UNSUCCCESSFUL DNC CHAIR

Kaine Criticized For His Tenure As DNC Chairman:

Former VA GOV. Douglas Wilder Called On Obama To Fire Tim Kaine As DNC Chair. “I am an admirer of Tim Kaine, whom I backed in his current position and as one of my successors as Virginia governor and even recommended for the vice presidency. But a spate of recent losses in races that Democrats should have won underscores what has been obvious to me for a long time: The chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee is the wrong job for him.” (L. Douglas Wilder, “Wilder: Obama needs to fire DNC Chairman Kaine, W.H. advisers,” Politico, 2/9/10)

• “‘There’s Going To Be A Lot Of Democrats Saying ‘Why Should We Listen To Tim Kaine If He Couldn’t Hold Serve In His Backyard?’ Said [VA Political Analyst Robert] Holsworth.” (Jim Nolan, “Kaine’s DNC Role Has Risks,” Richmond Times Dispatch, 7/5/09)

NOTE: The GOP Won Virginia’s Top Three Statewide Offices In 2009, Including Bob McDonnell’s Crushing Defeat Of Democrat Creigh Deeds. “Bob McDonnell cruised to an easy victory in the Virginia governor’s race, leading a sweep of the state’s three top offices that decisively ended a string of Democratic victories in the state. McDonnell defeated Democrat Creigh Deeds in a replay of their race for attorney general four years ago, which McDonnell also won.” (Andy Barr, “GOP Dominates In Virginia,” Politico, 11/3/09)

NOTE: Virginia Democrats Lost 3 House Seats In The 2010 Midterm Elections. “But the party lost six House of Delegates seats in 2009, plus the races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. The Democrats lost three congressional seats in November, including two they had won two years earlier.” (Tyler Whitley, “Democratic Party Of VA Elects Moran As Chairman,” The Richmond Times Dispatch, 12/5/10)

KAINE: UNSUCCESSFUL GOVERNOR

Kaine’s Tenure As Governor Not “Particularly Successful”:

While Splitting Time Between DNC Chairmanship And VA Governorship, Kaine Criticized For “Not Doing Either Of His Jobs Very Well.” “While top Obama aides have been guiding the direction of the DNC, Kaine has been spending as much as half a week on the road for his DNC duties, including fundraising and private DNC events, according to travel schedules released by the governor’s office. As a result, he’s come under criticism for not doing either of his jobs very well in recent months.” (Holly Bailey, “Missing In Action,” Newsweek, 10/21/09)

University Of Virginia Political Scientist Larry Sabato Says Kaine’s Tenure As Governor Not “Particularly Successful,” Ranking In “The Bottom Quartile.” Sabato: “Few nonpartisan observers in Virginia regard Kaine’s tenure in the Governor’s Office as particularly successful. Having known every governor since Albertis Harrison (1962-1966) and having studied the records of the dozen most recent governors, I would characterize Kaine’s term to this point as belonging to the bottom quartile.” (Larry Sabato, Op-Ed, “Vice President Tim Kaine?” www.rasmussenreports.com, 7/29/08)

• Sabato: “[H]is executive tenure has recorded few significant successes and one giant, overriding failure in the transportation field where Kaine hoped to make his mark.” (Larry Sabato, Op-Ed, “Vice President Tim Kaine?” www.rasmussenreports.com, 7/29/08)

Kaine’s Grand Plan To Fix State Transportation Woes Collapsed And Ended In Partisan Finger Pointing. “Kaine rode to the governor’s office in 2005 with momentum generated by his popular predecessor, Mark Warner, and a promise to hammer out a fix for the state’s transportation funding problems. But four years and two special sessions of the General Assembly did little to break the gridlock on road and transit funding. A patchwork compromise plan passed in 2007 effectively unraveled within a year. And Kaine’s final stab at a transportation funding plan fizzled with an unproductive 2008 special session that ended with partisan finger-pointing. Without new sources of revenue, the state has cut more than $3 billion from its highway construction program over the past two years.” (Michael Sluss, “A Term Of Crisis: Gov. Tim Kaine Exit Interview,” The Roanoke Times, 1/3/10)

Kaine Often Accused Of Putting Partisan Interests Ahead Of State Business, As Evident By State Shutdown Of 19 Interstate Rest Areas Because Kaine Wasn’t Paying Sufficient Attention To Issues At Home. “But Kaine’s out-of-state trips for DNC business still drew criticism from Republicans, who argued that Kaine too often put partisan interests ahead of state business at a time when Virginia was struggling with economic woes and budget problems. Griffith pointed to the controversial decision by state transportation officials to close 19 interstate rest areas as an example of Kaine not paying sufficient attention to issues at home.” (Michael Sluss, “A Term Of Crisis: Gov. Tim Kaine Exit Interview,” The Roanoke Times, 1/3/10)

Kaine’s Last Proposal To Increase The Virginia State Income Tax Died In The House Of Delegates; ZERO Democrats Voted For His Plan. “Not surprisingly, former Gov. Tim Kaine’s proposal to raise the state income tax was killed in the GOP-controlled House of Delegates this afternoon. Democrats tried to pull the bill before the vote but their Republican counterparts would have none of that. The GOP majority wanted to force Democrats to vote on the bill, leaving them with the choice of raising taxes or voting against Kaine, the chairman of their national party.” (Anita Kumar, “House Kills Kaine’s Income Tax Increase Proposal,” The Washington Post’s “Virginia Politics” Blog, 1/21/10)

• NOTE: “Kaine’s proposal died by a vote of 97-0.” (Anita Kumar, “House Kills Kaine’s Income Tax Increase Proposal,” The Washington Post’s “Virginia Politics” Blog, 1/21/10)