Politico: “The secretive office that processes workplace misconduct complaints on Capitol Hill has declined Sen. Tim Kaine’s request for data on sexual harassment claims filed in the upper chamber — data that Kaine had said he would make public. The Virginia Democrat sought details Dec. 6 on the taxpayer-funded settlements that the Hill’s Office of Compliance approved for Senate employers, adding that he would release the broad outlines of the data in the interest of transparency as Congress considers an overhaul of its own harassment system.”
Kaine Hits the Campaign Trail Again
Politico: “An aide to Tim Kaine enters a diner in Charlottesville and informs the host that the Virginia senator is about to walk in. The host smiles and cracks a joke: ‘You mean the guy who lost to Trump?’ Ten months after the presidential election, Kaine is still trying to shed the stigma of being the vice presidential candidate on the ticket that came up short against Donald Trump, a man so reviled by Kaine’s fellow Democrats that many of them can’t bear the thought of him serving out his full four-year presidential term. The senator is back on the campaign trail — stumping in Virginia for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam and preparing for his own 2018 reelection campaign.”
“But even as Kaine tries to keep his focus on the next election, there are constant reminders of the last one — the only election he’s ever lost. Trump, it seems, looms over everything. Kaine isn’t interested in relitigating one of the biggest electoral upsets in U.S. history. He looks visibly uncomfortable talking about the election and cautions against ‘overinterpreting’ what went wrong.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“We’re now beyond obstruction of justice… this is moving into perjury, false statements, and even potentially treason.”
— Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), quoted by NBC News, on the federal investigation into Trump campaign collusion with Russia.
Laura Ingraham Mulls Senate Bid
“The queen of conservative talk radio, Laura Ingraham, is eyeing a Senate run in Virginia and a challenge to Hillary Clinton’s running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA),” the Washington Examiner reports.
“Knowledgeable sources said that several party insiders have approached the media giant to run and that she is considering it.”
Kaine Will Not Run for President In 2020
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said he will seek re-election in 2018 but will not run for president or vice president in 2020, the AP reports.
Said Kaine: “Period. Full stop.”
Reaction to the Vice Presidential Debate
The vice presidential debate was pretty much a mess.
Moderator Elaine Quijano had no control over the candidates and raced through topics as if the goal was to cover everything possible in just 90 minutes. She robotically read through her list of questions but seemed to disregard the answers.
Neither Tim Kaine or Mike Pence came off very well either. They didn’t answer questions. They tried and failed with canned attack lines. They were disrespectful of the weak attempts by the moderator to keep them on topic. They both talked over each other so much that it was annoying to almost everyone watching.
Pence had a much tougher job at the outset. After Donald Trump’s disastrous debate performance last week, Pence needed to do something to reverse the momentum. He didn’t do it. Aside from brushing aside what Trump has said, it’s not clear what his strategy was. On some issues, like Russia and Syria, Pence actually disagreed with Trump.
All Kaine needed to do was make the debate about Donald Trump but he couldn’t do it either. He came off as nervous and overly rehearsed. He didn’t effectively call out Pence for denying basic facts about Trump.
If you scored the debate on style, Pence probably won narrowly. He looked into the camera and came off as the calmer of the two. I suspect most instant polls will find Pence the winner.
However, Kaine was a much better running mate. He defended the nominee at the top of his ticket. Pence wasn’t willing to do it.
After watching the debate, it’s clear that Kaine is running for vice president in 2016. But Pence sounded more like he’s running for president in 2020.
One of Kaine’s Kids Backed Sanders
“As part of an appeal to millennials, Tim Kaine, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, shared this tidbit about his three children on Monday: One of them supported Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton during the party’s primary season,” the Washington Post reports.
“Kaine’s disclosure came during a well-attended rally at Iowa State University in Ames, where Kaine — Clinton’s running mate for the past two months — urged young voters to rally around the Democratic ticket in November.”
Quote of the Day
“Trying to count the ways I hate Tim Kaine. Drawing a blank. Congrats to a good man and a good friend.”
— Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), on Twitter.
McAuliffe Would Appoint Kaine’s Successor
If Hillary Clinton wins, and Tim Kaine becomes vice president, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) will get to appoint someone to the U.S. Senate.
Politico: “The buzz in McAuliffe land is that he can appoint a placeholder, like the 77-year-old Chuck Robb, or someone who is a longer-term option like Rep. Don Beyer, Creigh Deeds, Attorney General Mark Herring or Anne Holton, the education secretary who is also Kaine’s wife. Tom Periello, a one-term congressman who is now at the State Department, could also be an option. McAuliffe WILL NOT appoint himself, sources close to him say.”
Trump Hits Kaine as Corrupt
Donald Trump’s campaign wasted little time depicting Hillary Clinton’s new running mate as a continuation of the “rigged system,” casting Sen. Tim Kaine as “Corrupt Tim” and attacking him for supporting President Obama’s policies, Politico reports.
Said a spokesman: “It’s only fitting that Hillary Clinton would select an ethically challenged insider like Tim Kaine who’s personally benefited from the rigged system. While serving in government, Kaine has taken tens of thousands of dollars in freebies – more than $160,000 in fact – on free vacations, free clothes, and free tickets.”
Kaine Greeted by Blowback from Progressives
Even before Sen. Timothy M. Kaine (D-VA) was unveiled as Hillary Clinton’s running mate, liberal groups were teed up to criticize the pick, the Washington Post reports.
“Kaine’s boosters say that Kaine, a former Virginia governor and chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is far more progressive than many of his critics realize. But several organizations, including some with ties to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the runner-up in the Democratic primaries, sharply questioned Kaine’s liberal bona fides, pointing to Kaine’s support of trade deals and regulations favorable to big banks.”
Clinton Expected to Pick Kaine as Her Running Mate
“Democrats close to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign signaled strongly Thursday that she would choose Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia as her running mate, rounding out the ticket with a popular politician from a battleground state,” the New York Times reports.
“Both former President Bill Clinton and the White House have expressed their support for Mr. Kaine, but aides cautioned that Mrs. Clinton had not yet made a final decision and that other candidates were still under consideration.”
Wall Street Journal: “Mrs. Clinton is likely to announce her selection Friday in the form of a text message to supporters. On Saturday, she is set to campaign in Florida, a potential stage for a joint appearance with her newly minted running mate.”
Bill Clinton Prefers Kaine for Veep
“As Hillary Clinton prepares to make her choice for a vice-presidential candidate, Bill Clinton has privately expressed his support for Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia,” the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Clinton believes that Mr. Kaine, 58, a former governor and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has the domestic and national security résumé that both appeals to voters and makes him prepared for the presidency. People close to Mr. Clinton, who could discuss private conversations only without attribution, said that the former president had left the decision entirely to his wife and that he also has close relationships with Mr. Vilsack and Mr. Perez.”
Kaine Will Campaign With Clinton
The Roanoke Times reports that Hillary Clinton will campaign in Northern Virginia next week with one of her potential running mates: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA).
“Kaine, frequently mentioned as being at or near the top of Clinton’s short list for vice presidential nominee, was runner-up to Joe Biden in Obama’s veepstakes in 2008. Kaine has demurred and said that his only job this election season is to help Clinton win Virginia.”
Kaine Took $160K In Gifts
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) “took advantage of the state’s lax gift laws to receive an $18,000 Caribbean vacation, $5,500 in clothes and a trip to watch George Mason University play in the NCAA basketball Final Four during his years as lieutenant governor and governor,” Politico reports.
“Now a leading contender to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate, Kaine reported more than $160,000 in gifts from 2001 to 2009, mostly for travel to and from political events and conferences, according to disclosures compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project.”
Kaine Seen As Favorite for Clinton Veep
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) “is emerging as the leading candidate atop Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential short list, according to Democratic allies and operatives close to the campaign,” Politico reports.
“Sen. Elizabeth Warren and HUD Secretary Julian Castro are also top prospects for the Democratic ticket — both representing nods to important Democratic constituencies.But they have serious drawbacks that make them less appealing for Clinton than the Spanish-speaking, Terry McAuliffe-endorsed, former missionary and swing state governor, who was a finalist in Barack Obama’s vice presidential vetting process eight years ago.”
Warner Says He’s Not Being Vetted
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) told the Virginian-Pilot that he doesn’t expect to be vetted as Hillary Clinton’s running mate.
Said Warner: “I’m not being vetted. I don’t expect to be vetted.”
Warner did, however, say of his colleague Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA): “There’s nobody with better integrity and trustfulness… Secretary Clinton and the country would do well by him.
Can Kaine Be An Attack Dog?
“To many — in the White House, in and around Hillary Clinton’s orbit, and among top Democrats — the question of ‘Could Tim Kaine be a good vice president?’ is settled. It’s how the Virginia senator would do as an attack-dog running mate that’s still in question,” Politico reports.
“And when the opposition is a bully bomb-throwing genius who seems ready to say just about anything, when people worry that Bill Clinton will spend the campaign bouncing off the walls complaining that they’re not hitting back enough, that has top Democratic operatives nervous.”
