Last week, while debating George Allen, former DNC Chairman Tim Kaine made the bizarre claim that the Chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee “was not the most partisan job in America,” which is a remarkable statement given that Kaine once instructed his fellow Democrats to campaign on ObamaCare, and said Democrats up for reelection were “crazy” to distance themselves from President Obama or Speaker Pelosi.
Virginians have expressed opposition to ObamaCare, but that didn’t stop Chairman Kaine from declaring that President Obama’s $2.5 trillion job-killing, government-run healthcare would become one of Obama’s greatest achievements.
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“Given that Tim Kaine once instructed his rank-and-file Democrats to campaign on Obamacare, it’s remarkable that he still believes his chairmanship at the DNC was not the most partisan job in America,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Jahan Wilcox. “Not only was Kaine the number one cheerleader for President Obama’s $2.5 trillion government-run healthcare bill, but he also made the dubious claim that it would go down as one of Obama’s greatest accomplishments.”
BACKGROUND …
Flashback To Kaine’s Fierce Support For ObamaCare
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)
DNC Chairman Tim Kaine On ObamaCare: “[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 Democrats Should Be Very Proud Of The Health Care Overhaul And Should Be Talking About It In Their Campaigns. CROWLEY: “. . . I want to start out talking about health care reform. You think Democrats should be out there bragging about it. So what do you make of the Democrats who are putting out those ads, bragging that they voted against it?” KAINE: “. . . [M]ost Democrats that I see on the trail are very proud of the accomplishment and they’re talking about it. . . . Now, obviously, folks who voted against health care, they’re going to talk about why. But I think for the Democratic Party, generally, this significant achievement for the uninsured, for people who have been abused by insurance company policies, for small businesses, for seniors, is something that we should be very proud of and we should be talking about.” (CNN’s “State Of The Union,” 9/19/10)
On Health Care, Kaine Said When The American People “Immediately See The Benefits,” Then Health Care Would Be “A Great Thing Politically For The Dems.” AMANPOUR: “You mentioned health care. I want to say something that you, yourself, said about this issue when it comes to elections.” KAINE: “OK, great.” (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KAINE: “When make this happen, and people immediately see the benefits that are going to come their way, I think this is going to be a great thing politically for the Dems. And we’re trying to show members that they’ve got their constituents behind them if they vote with the president.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 10/24/10)
A New York Times Article Described The House Health Care Vote As “Bitterly Partisan.” “‘We will not allow this to stand,’ Representative Michele Bachmann, Republican of Minnesota, promised Monday afternoon as the House reconvened, a day after the bitterly partisan vote.” (David M. Herszenhorn and Robert Pear, “Health Vote Is Done, But Partisan Debate Rages On,” The New York Times, 3/22/10)
The Health Care Vote In The Senate Was A “Party-Line Vote.” “The Senate voted Thursday to reinvent the nation’s health care system . . . . The 60-to-39 party-line vote, starting at 7:05 a.m. on the 25th straight day of debate on the legislation . . . .” (Robert Pear, “ Senate Passes Health Care Overhaul On Party-Line Vote,” The New York Times, 12/24/09)
