Tim Kaine has taken a lot of grief for his decision to accept the DNC post while serving out his last year as Virginia governor.
Media reports have focused on the difficulty of performing two significant full-time jobs well, especially given the declining economic conditions facing the state.
GOP critics have focused on the inherent contradiction of simultaneously serving as Governor of All Virginians and Partisan-in-Chief for the national Democratic Party. As Delegate Bill Janis noted, it is difficult to be the national party’s chief advocate one moment and a bipartisan problem-solver in your home state the next.
Janis’ point nails the problem of trying to do these two specific jobs at the same time, though I doubt that there was much hope for bipartisanship breaking out between the Governor and the House Republicans this year anyway.
Oddly enough, however, there is one very important place where everyone is hoping that Kaine’s additional roles as Partisan-in-Chief and FOB (Friend- of- Barack) may well serve the interests of all Virginians.
Legislators from both parties have told me that the Governor’s personal relationship with the President and political connections in D.C. could favorably position the Commonwealth in the competition among states for Obama’s stimulus dollars.
While Congress may be divided about the extent of Obama’s spending plans, there seems to be a bipartisan consensus across the states.
Bring It On- Especially Here.
I’ve yet to hear any GOP Governor issue a Palin-like “thanks, but no thanks” response to the prospect of stimulus funding. Nor have I heard much commentary about whether some of the projects funded by the plan resemble what was very recently labeled “earmarks.”
Virginia Republicans are not very pleased with what they see as the partisan and highly political nature of Kaine’s governorship. But as state legislators grapple with the cascading effects of a declining economy, they might be grateful if the Governor can bring some federal bacon to Virginia, especially if it makes their decisions on Medicaid, transportation and school construction a little more palatable.
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