Kaine refused DNC offer several times
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said yesterday that President-elect Barack Obama persuaded him to become chairman of the Democratic National Committee after Obama assured him it would not interfere with his job as Virginia's governor.
"As Americans found out on Nov. 4, he's a pretty persuasive guy," Kaine said during a brief news conference at the Patrick Henry Building.
Kaine said he turned down the offer in mid-November.
"I told him I don't see how I can make this fit with my responsibilities as governor," Kaine said.
Kaine said emissaries from Obama approached him again shortly before Christmas. After that, he met with the president-elect's staff in Washington and flew to Chicago to meet with Obama. Kaine said he did not give Obama a definite answer until a couple of days ago.
He said he soon will assume the duties on a part-time basis during his final year as governor. He will not be paid for his DNC work this year.
Kaine said he told Obama he needed to devote full time to the General Assembly session, which will begin Jan. 14, in which he and the legislature will be wrestling with a $3 billion budget deficit.
"Does that mean I will be on a Sunday TV [talk] show? Possibly," he added.
He acknowledged he will be under pressure to deliver Virginia to the Democratic column in this fall's gubernatorial race, but he said he would have been under that pressure anyway.
The DNC is based in Washington. Kaine said he spends about a third of his gubernatorial time in Northern Virginia.
He acknowledged that the chairmanship is a partisan job, but he said he thinks he could continue to work with Republicans in the legislature.
"My role will be defending the president," Kaine said. "Every American wants him to succeed, because the stakes for the country are so high."
Reactions to Kaine's appointment fell along partisan lines.
Former Del. Brian J. Moran, one of three Democrats seeking the nomination to run for governor, said, "Governor Kaine will join President-elect Obama at a critical point in our nation's history, bringing the type of Virginia values and vision that Washington so desperately needs."
Terry McAuliffe, another Democratic candidate who once served as DNC chairman, said, "The governor's appointment is a reaffirmation of the power of the Virginia Democratic brand."
Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, the No. 2 Republican in the House of Representatives and one of the lawmakers who met with Obama yesterday in Washington, pointed to the challenge Kaine faces in the state budget deficit.
"I would just hope such a move on the governor's part would not distract him from the job he's got to do for the people of the commonwealth," he said.
Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, R-Prince William and chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said Kaine's appointment sends the wrong signal to Virginians.
Sen. Ken Cuccinelli of Fairfax County, one of three Republicans seeking the nomination to run for attorney general, said Kaine's new responsibilities will be a distraction.
"You can't just fly into L.A. or back from Racine or Chicago and say, 'How's it going, boys? Cut, A, B and C. Mind the store. See you later,'" Cuccinelli said.
But Sen. Charles J. Colgan, D-Prince William, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said Kaine's closeness to Obama will help bring infrastructure funds to Virginia.
Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or
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Neil H. Simon of Media General News Service contributed to this report.
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Reader Reactions
Excellent question Transplant! Colgan the Statist, like his colleagues, makes no mention of public service as noble and honorable sui generis. Rather, he seeks financial “gain,“ in this instance for the Commonwealth so the omnipotent, patriarchal State can continue to meddle into all affairs of daily life, to include road building. Dang it all, the $$ was ours to begin with! This paradigm of running to the feds hat in hand for something that is rightfully ours must be abolished.
It would be interesting to know exactly how being chmn of the DNC will bring infrastructure funds to Va. Did Gilmore’s RNC chmnship bring anything to Va?
I am sorry that Kaine is not accepting the position, this would be Virginia’s chance to rid themselves of the buffoon! I say don’t let the door hit you on the way out, we ain’t stopping you! Then we can finally elect a governor that is a true Virginian!
So, Empty Hat Moran opines “Governor Kaine will join President-elect Obama… bringing the type of Virginia values and vision that Washington so desperately needs.“
What the hay does that mean? “Virginia values and vision?“ They died with Jefferson and Henry et al. Moran and those of his ilk (Kaine et al.) have absolutely no concept of statesmanship. They are career politicians not statesmen! Contemporary solons who annually trek to the capitol and trample our personal freedoms and make a mockery of our Founding Fathers’ conceptualization of a free society limited in governance have no credence when they speak of “Virginia values.“ Instead of supporting such buffoons, we should exile them to socialist nations where their “values and visions” may be realized.
Kaine is letting Obama do his thinking for him? How can Obama know enough about Kaine’s job to tell him he can moonlight at the DNC? That’s a smokescreen. Kaine knows better. I don’t like his politics, but I don’t think he’s stupid. Article 1, Sec. 6, Clause 2 of the Constitution prevents members of one branch of government from holding a position in another branch at the same time. The case with Kaine (and Gilmore) is not identical, but perhaps it is time the Va. Constitution was amended to make people elected to office serve out their terms before accepting another job or resign in order to do so. Isn’t there a saying about someone not being able to serve 2 masters?
Great, so Obama is a persuasive guy and Kaine caved in. This is supposed to justify this awful decision on Kaine’s part how?
Mark it down…..this will be a turning point (for the worse) in Kaine’s political career. It is a big mistake for him to take this position w/ Virginia in the shape it’s in now.
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