Gov. Timothy M. Kaine was out of the state for at least part of seven days in August, according to a travel log released last night by his office. “The dates represent a combination of state work, work in his role as chairman of the Democratic National Committee and personal time,“ said Kaine spokesman Gordon Hickey, who would not give further details on how much of Kaine’s travel was national political business or personal.

Virginia Republicans have been having a grand ol’ time poking fun at Gov. Tim Kaine’s peregrinations. The other day the party sent out a blistering press release: “Barely 24 hours after releasing the dismal report that disclosed that he had missed budget projections in Virginia by another $1.5 billion, Kaine today participated in a town hall meeting held by President Obama—by telephone from New Jersey, where he was also campaigning for struggling incumbent Governor Jon Corzine.“

Virginia Republicans will appeal to the court of public opinion instead of a court of law to fight over access to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s out-of-town travel records as Democratic National Committee chairman. “To continue our pursuit of the documents in question would leave us with the only option of taking the issue to litigation,“ state GOP Chairman Pat Mullins said in a statement released yesterday, responding to a letter sent by Kaine’s office late last week denying his request for the records.

An item in Saturday’s Week’s End wrap-up of Editorial comment cited the electoral strides Virginia Democrats have made during Tim Kaine’s governorship. On Sunday Barack Obama indicated that Kaine was his choice to head the Democratic National Committee. Kaine has earned the distinction. His early endorsement of Obama and his zealous campaigning on the Democratic ticket’s behalf contributed to Virginia’s switch from red to blue. Democrats now (1) control both of the state’s seats in the U.S. Senate, (2) have a 6-5 edge in the House delegation, and (3) enjoy a regained majority in the State Senate. They have won two straight gubernatorial elections. Virginia gave Obama his strongest numbers among the Southern states. Republicans who attribute this to “Bush fatigue” are deluding themselves—much as Democrats deluded themselves during conservatism’s rise.