“I congratulate George Allen on winning the Republican nomination and look forward to Virginians electing this experienced leader in November.
“The Virginia Senate race will be one of the most important battlegrounds this Fall, and voters will have a clear choice between two competing visions for the future of the Commonwealth and our country. George Allen represents a common-sense path forward for Virginia by focusing on job growth, energy independence and a balanced budget, while his opponent former DNC Chairman Tim Kaine represents the status quo of higher taxes, bigger government, and more wasteful, Washington spending.
“Virginians deserve a Senator who will put their views and values ahead of blind partisanship and party loyalty, and that is why I am confident they will elect George Allen in November.” - U.S. Senator John Cornyn, NRSC Chairman
BACKGROUND ON TIM KAINE’S RECORD OF PLACING HIS LIBERAL VIEWS & LOYALTY TO OBAMA AHEAD OF VIRGINIA
“I’m an unabashed supporter of the President.”
- Tim Kaine, January 5, 2012
Kaine Was President Obama’s #1 Cheerleader For The Failed $787 Billion Stimulus…
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, www.youtube.com, Accessed 2/15/11)
“Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tim Kaine On Tuesday Said The Stimulus Saved The Nation From The Worst Economic Crisis Since The Great Depression . . . .” (Bob Cusack, “Speaker Pelosi Bets The House On Success Of $787 Billion Stimulus,” The Hill, 2/17/10)
Kaine Said Health Care Would Be One Of Obama’s Great Achievements And Good For The American Public
Kaine: “[I] Think Health Care Reform Is Going To Go Down In History As One Of The Great Achievements Of This President.” (CNN’s “State Of The Union,” 1/2/11)
Kaine Called The Health Care Overhaul One Of Obama’s “Proudest Achievements.” “So the president made health insurance reform a priority — and the Affordable Care Act remains one of his proudest achievements.” (Tim Kaine, Op-Ed, “The President’s Progress,” Politico, 12/31/10)
Kaine: “The Passage Of This Health Care Reform, And We’re Very Close To It, Is Going To Be The Biggest Step Forward In Domestic Policy Since Social Security Or Medicare, And It’s Also The Biggest Deficit Reduction Bill That’s Been Passed By Congress In The Last Ten Years.” (MSNBC, www.youtube.com, Posted 12/22/09)
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)
Kaine Commended Nancy Pelosi For Her Work As Speaker
Kaine Said If Democrats Kept The House, Pelosi Would Remain Speaker Because She Had Done A “Marvelous Job.” AMANPOUR: “Do you think if the House remains Democratic, Nancy Pelosi will remain speaker?” KAINE: “Yes, I do. I do.” AMANPOUR: “No question?” KAINE: “I — she’s done a marvelous job in a town where it’s hard to do heavy lifts, as you know, in doing heavy lifting in the House to work with the president, and I think she’ll stay speaker.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 10/24/10)
Kaine Cheered On Obama As His Hand-Picked DNC Chairman
Former Virginia Democratic Governor Doug Wilder: “‘[I]t Will Be Very Difficult For Kaine To Disagree On The Issues, When You Consider He Was The Head Of The DNC And Much Of What He Was Parroting Was What The Obama Administration Was Speaking Of.’” (David Sherfinski, “Kaine, Allen Burdened By Washington Ties,” The Examiner, 6/11/11)
Kaine Said At Obama’s Halfway Point In His Presidency, His List Of Achievements “Already Dwarfs That Of Many Presidents.” “On Nov. 5, 2008, the day after Election Day, the big story was Barack Obama’s history-making win. Today, the big story is the many historic changes that he has enacted during his first two years in office. At the halfway point of this ter Hansard Society for Parliamentary Governmentm, the president’s list of achievements already dwarfs that of many presidents.” (Tim Kaine, Op-Ed, “The President’s Progress,” Politico, 12/31/10)
Kaine Said His Job As DNC Chair Is “A Wonderful Job,” And Includes Going Out And Being The President’s Advocate And Promoter. “‘My agreement with the president is I was going to do what he wants me to do,’ Kaine said on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’ ‘And what I know sitting here today is he wants me to continue in this spot and that’s what I’m going to do with excitement, you know, traveling all around the country, going through the TSA lines like everybody else, going out and being the president’s advocate and promoter. And it’s a wonderful job and I intend continue it.’” (Felicia Sonmez, “Kaine To Stay On As Democratic National Committee Chairman,” The Washington Post’s Virginia Politics Blog, www.washingtonpost.com, Posted 1/2/11)
Kaine Cut Higher Education Funding Significantly When He Was Governor, Driving Up Tuition
“Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s $76.8 Billion Budget Proposal Would: . . . Cut Aid To Colleges And Universities By 26 Percent During The Next Few Years, A Move Likely To Lead To Tuition Increases.” (“What’s In The Budget,” The Washington Post, 12/19/09)
Just Before Leaving His Post As Governor, Kaine Tried To Increase Virginia’s Income Tax
Before Leaving Office, Kaine Proposed A Plan To Balance Virginia’s 2010-2012 Budget, Which Included An Increase In The State Income Tax. “Kaine proposed balancing the budget shortfall for 2010-2012 by eliminating the $1.9 billion car-tax subsidy the state pays to localities and making an additional $2.3 billion in cuts through agency reductions, layoffs and requiring state employees to contribute to their pensions. Kaine proposed that localities could recoup the money lost in the car-tax subsidy if lawmakers agreed to pass an increase of 1 percentage point in the state income tax, the proceeds of which would be distributed to localities.” (Olympia Meola, “House Rejects Kaine Tax-Increase Plan,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1/22/10)
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)
“Not A Single Member Of The House Of Delegates Voted Thursday To Support Former Gov. Tim Kaine’s Proposal To Increase The State Income Tax And Effectively Eliminate The Personal Property Tax On Vehicles.” (Michael Sluss, “Bill To Raise Taxes Gets No Takers,” The Roanoke Times, 1/22/10)
The Income Tax Change Would Have Resulted In A 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)
Kaine’s Proposal To Increase Virginia’s Income Tax Was Called A “Radical Restructuring Of The State’s Tax Code.” “Virginia’s outgoing Democratic governor, Timothy M. Kaine, proposed Friday replacing the long-hated car tax with an income tax increase, a radical restructuring of the state’s tax code that was immediately rejected by the governor-elect and other Republican leaders.” (Anita Kumar and Rosalind s. Helderman, “Virginia Governor Proposes An Income Tax Increase,” The Washington Post, 12/19/09)
