According to today's Richmond Times-Dispatch, Tim Kaine has picked up a major league donor -- Randal J. Kirk of Radford, President and CEO of New River Pharmaceuticals and Senior Managing Director of investment firm Third Security, LLC. What makes this significant, besides the fact that Kirk is a multi-millionaire (net worth in 2004: $200 million) from Kilgore's home region of Southwest Virginia, is that he has historically given more (59%-40%) to Republicans than to Democrats. Most significantly, Kirk gave Jerry W. Kilgore $35,000 back in 2001, and $50,000 to "Virginians for Jerry Kilgore" in 2002 and 2003. Kirk also gave Mark Earley $150,000 in his 2001 run for Governor.
The point here is that Randall J. Kirk is no liberal. In fact, Kirk's "a fiscal conservative but not a social conservative" who has backed Jerry Kilgore heavily in the past. But now, Kirk has completely flipped sides to Tim Kaine, giving him $100,000 on August 23, 2005 and another $100,000 on September 22, 2005. Why did Kirk switch from Kilgore to Kaine? The reasons he gives are extremely telling:
[Kirk] said Kilgore has become a one-issue candidate."If you believe the main thing the commonwealth needs to be doing to improve the plight of its people is to kill more people, then by all means you should vote for Jerry," he said.
Wow, that hurts. Especially when the words are directed at a candidate who claims to be "pro-life." Kirk is basically saying that Jerry Kilgore is really Jerry "Kill More." And he doesn't like it one bit.
Kirk has not just turned AGAINST Kilgore, however. He's also turned TOWARDS Tim Kaine and his positive vision for Virginia's future. This is what Kirk has to say about Kaine:
"Lt. Gov. Kaine is a very, very intelligent, very open-minded and very dedicated fellow," Kirk said."To be honest, I know a lot of politicians and I can't say that about many of them."
[...]
"I felt as a matter of conscience I should support the lieutenant governor," he said. "It's not close, in my mind."
Let us repeat: "It's not close" for Randal J. Kirk. Apparently, he'd rather have 4 more years of AAA bond ratings and "best managed state in the country" awards under Tim Kaine than fiscal meltdown under Jerry W. Kilgore. Smart guy, Randal J. Kirk! Perhaps that helps explain how he got to be so rich.