After Touting ObamaCare & Failed Stimulus, Kaine Is Hoping Virginians Will Forget His Record

A little over three years after serving as the number one cheerleader in Washington for President Obama’s massive $825 billion stimulus spending bill, and flatly predicting that it would ‘save or create’ 3 million jobs, former DNC Chairman Tim Kaine is clearly hoping Virginians will forget his record today as he embarks on three economic roundtables with U.S. Senator Mark Warner in Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia, and Richmond.

In addition to the tacit acknowledgment that his bold predictions on the failed stimulus did not prove accurate, Kaine also announced that “they will discuss strategies to help businesses hire and expand” even as Virginia small businesses – like Health First a medical supplier in Henrico and Glen Allen’s Rainbow Station –continue to suffer under ObamaCare.

“On issue after issue, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine has been Barack Obama’s number one cheerleader for his liberal, tax-and-spend agenda,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Brian Walsh.  “As businesses throughout the Commonwealth continue to come out against the job-killing economic agenda of Barack Obama and Tim Kaine it’s clear their policies are not working for Virginia.”  

BACKGROUND …

Three Years Ago Tim Kaine Promised That His Stimulus Would ‘Create Or Save’ 3 Million Jobs 

February 6, 2009: Kaine, Enlisted By President Obama To Help Sell The Stimulus, Appeared In Video With Obama. “President Barack Obama is enlisting Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, to help make his case for the economic stimulus package via video. The president and Kaine appeared yesterday in separate videos e-mailed to Obama’s network of 13 million supporters developed through his presidential campaign.” (Andrew Cain, “Kaine Pitches Economic Stimulus Plan In Video,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/8/09)

• Kaine: “The President and Members of Congress have passed a stimulus plan that will help jumpstart the economy and accomplish critical objectives to get our economy growing again.” (DNC Chairman Tim Kaine, BarackObamaDotCom YouTube Channel, 2/6/2009)

• Kaine Said Stimulus Would Save Or Create More Than 3 Million Jobs. “The number one priority of the President’s economic recovery plan is to get Americans back to work. The plan will boost employment by saving or creating more than 3 million jobs nationally.” (DNC Chairman Tim Kaine, BarackObamaDotCom YouTube Channel, 2/6/2009)

• Kaine On Stimulus: “This Bill Is What’s Needed To Put Americans Back To Work.” (MSNBC’s “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” 2/6/09)

• Kaine Said The Stimulus Was One Of The First Flagstones In The “Road To Recovery.” “From his efforts came the first flagstones in the road to recovery. The Recovery Act, which put vital dollars back into the pockets of working families, pumped critical funding into high-growth industries and promoted projects that employed Americans and improved vital infrastructure.” (Tim Kaine, Op-Ed, “The President’s Progress,” Politico, 12/31/10)

As Governor — Kaine’s 2010 – 2012 Proposed Budget Included A $2 Billion-A-Year Income Tax Increase 

The Tax Increase Under Kaine’s Budget Proposal Would Be A $2 Billion-A-Year Income Tax Increase. “Virginia’s hated local car tax would be replaced with a $2 billion-a-year income tax increase under the new budget Gov. Timothy M. Kaine presented Friday.” (Bob Lewis and Dena Potter, “Va. Gov: End Car Tax, Raise Income Tax 1 Percent,” The Associated Press, 12/18/09)

• “The Tax Proposal From The Democratic Governor Who Leaves Office Next Month Accompanied A Budget That Prescribes About $1.2 Billion In Spending Cuts In A Bid To Reconcile A $3.6 Billion State Revenue Shortfall For 2010 Through 2012.” (Bob Lewis and Dena Potter, “Va. Gov: End Car Tax, Raise Income Tax 1 Percent,” The Associated Press, 12/18/09)

Kaine’s Income Tax Increase Would Be The First Since 1972. “Besides a budget bill that deeply cuts funding for state-supported colleges, mental health services and public safety, Kaine is preparing a separate bill that would phase in a 1 percent income tax increase over two years. It would be the first income tax increase since 1972.” (Bob Lewis and Dena Potter, “Va. Gov: End Car Tax, Raise Income Tax 1 Percent,” The Associated Press, 12/18/09)

The Income Tax Change Would Have Resulted In An Income Tax Rate Hike “For Those Earning More Than $17,000, 60 Percent Of Taxpayers.” “The increase would mean a hike in the income tax rate from 5.75 percent to 6.75 percent for those earning more than $17,000, 60 percent of taxpayers.” (Anita Kumar and Rosalind S. Helderman, “Virginia Governor Proposes An Income Tax Increase,” The Washington Post, 12/19/09)

And As Governor, Kaine Cut Higher Education

• Kaine: “I acknowledge that the cuts to higher education have been significant.”  (Governor Tim Kaine, Address to the Virginia Summit on Economic Competitiveness and Higher Education,” 10/1/09)

• Out-Going Governor Tim Kaine Admitted The Higher Education System Suffered “From Years Of Budget Cuts.” “But he also said the state faces major struggles, particularly a gridlocked transportation network and a higher education system suffering from years of state budget cuts.”  (The Washington Post, 1/14/10)