Tim Kaine for Senate – Wait, Really?

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Jennifer Rubin at the Washington Post writes that President Obama and other Democrats are asking Tim Kaine to run for Senate in Virginia, to challenge for the seat Jim Webb is leaving.  Like her, I ask: is this really the best they can come up with?

It seems that the president and many Democrats are imploring former Virginia governor Tim Kaine (D) to run for the Senate to replace the retiring Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.). Is this really the best the Democrats can do?

Kaine left office in 2009 as one of the least distinguished Virginia governors in recent memory. The budget was badly imbalanced. And he spent a good deal of his time while in the Commonwealth’s employ traveling around the U.S. as head of the Democratic National Committee. Obama passed over him for VP in 2008 despite a great deal of public self-promotion by Kaine.

The Virginia state Republican Party was quick to put out a release welcoming “our former part-time governor” back to the state. You can see the first ad already: “As governor, he led the effort to implement the largest tax increase ($2 billion) in Virginia history, left over $1 billion in unspent transportation funds sitting at [the transportation department] while folks sat in traffic, and is now interested in glossing over his failed record as governor to seek higher office.”

I hope they do think this is the best they can do. It will make things easier for George Allen.

Read all of Rubin’s article at her Right Turn blog