Kaine to lead Democratic National Committee
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, left, pictured at a Northern Virginia campaign rally with Sen. Barack Obama on June 5, 2008, was an early Obama supporter.
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will become the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee, according to a state Democratic official and other party sources.
Kaine, an early backer of President-elect Barack Obama, plans to do the job from Richmond part-time before his four-year term as governor ends in January 2010. He will then do the job on a full-time basis.
"He's going to be offered the chairmanship of the DNC and he's going to take it," said House Minority Leader Ward L. Armstrong, D-Henry.
Armstrong said Kaine sounded him out about the appointment during a phone conversation on New Year's Day.
"He has the ear of the president, and I understand [Obama] wants to expand the role of the DNC. . . . I don't think that hurts us in this part of the world."Kaine, a finalist to be Obama's running mate, previously knocked down speculation that he would succeed Howard Dean as chairman of the DNC. Kaine has repeatedly said he would not leave the governorship early to take a post in an Obama administration.
The part-time appointment might pose political difficulties for Kaine in Virginia. He will seek to promote Obama's agenda while coping with Virginia's budget shortfall of nearly $3 billion.
Kaine was the first governor outside of Illinois to endorse Obama. Both are Harvard graduates and civil-rights lawyers, whose mothers grew up in the small town of El Dorado, Kansas.
-- Jeff E. Schapiro
Reader Reactions
Kaine will have to work hard to fill the shoes of such notable former DNC chairman as Ron Brown and Terry McCaullife. As the position basically is about doing what Governor Blagojevich
was doing selling sinecures and influence in exchange for campaign contributions Kaine’s trial lawyer background should serve him well.
Can’t we find something in the state constitution that will force Gov. Nitwit to resign becauase he took this job? Is it not unconstitutional for a governor to hold a second job? Anything we can find to get rid of this disgrace of a governor is good for me. Has he offered anyone a bribe to take Dwight Jones’ seat? ANYTHING!!!!! We’ve got to get rid of this carpetbagging putz before he ruins this state more!
Mr Smirky screws the people of Virginia yet another time. What will dimdo McAuliffee bring?
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