Kaine’s Two Jobs: Juggling Act

Gov. Tim Kaine initially turned down Barack Obama's invitation to serve as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. When he changed his mind, he said he would put his gubernatorial duties first and would work on DNC matters primarily on weekends and during after-hours.

A headline in yesterday's Washington Post reported: "Va. Governor Uses 1½ Days of Workweek for DNC Job."

Kaine spends one day traveling to party events and half a day toiling at DNC headquarters in Washington. The governor's work always accompanies him, he explains, and he keeps in touch with Richmond via cell phone and e-mail. He has a point, but many Virginians expect their chief executive to be in his office, or in the state, or at least to be tending to Virginia's interests during so-called business hours.

This could be an instance where Virginia's ban on consecutive gubernatorial terms deters accountability. Kaine cannot run for re-election. If he were running, the electorate would be able to weigh his dual jobs as it assessed his candidacy. (The point is moot. If Kaine were seeking re-election he would not have taken the chairmanship. This is a job for lame ducks.)

The reluctance to include details of DNC tasks in official schedules betrays a certain defensiveness. Gov. Douglas Wilder's frequent jaunts did not sit well with the citizenry; Sen. George Allen's out-of-state campaigning in anticipation of a 2008 presidential run contributed to his defeat in 2006. Full awareness of Kaine's absences could undermine his authority.

We believe Kaine can balance the jobs. We also believe the citizenry should reach its own conclusion and that to do so it needs timely information. It might find juggling acts amusing -- in the circus.