Kaine should have just stayed out of the primary completely.  

Kaine rarely endorses in primaries.  Asking him why he endorsed in this one might yield an interesting answer.  As for asking why he endorsed both Obama and Connolly, that just invites him to link Connolly and Obama, and since he get's the last word, that's not going to end well for Obama/Byrne supporters.

...he also endorsed in the Fairfax County (Providence District) Supervisors race in 2007, for Connolly ally Linda Smyth and against "smart growth" advocate Charlie Hall.  Hmmmmm.

There is certainly a strong Kaine-Connolly tie.  Given that he usually stays out of primaries and he's jumped into the 11th district and, perhaps more significantly, the Providence primary last year (that's so small it shouldn't even be on his radar), there is something connecting these two.  To make it even more questionable, both the 11th and the Providence are/were almost certain Democratic victories - so Kaine can't hide behind the excuse that he's identified the candidate who is most likely to beat a Republican.

Whatever could Connolly have done to earn such extraordinary support from Kaine?

But the connection is with Mark Warner, going back to their law school days.  Guess not many folks here were around back in 1996.  

Kaine's role should have been to unify the party arpund the eventual nominee, whoever that might have been.  It looks bad, as de facto party leader, to stick your neck out in one particular race, especially baffling as he apparently felt no need to do so in the 5th district primary, which was also contested.

n/t

why Gerry Connolly, who touts himself as such a big environmentalist, skipped the League of Conservation Voters' event Wednesday night in Oakton/Vienna:

"Statement from Lisa Guthrie, Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters Education Fund

For more information, please contact Lisa at 804.225.1902 (office) or 804.240.1976 (cell)

Congressional candidates helped call attention to climate change at a forum last night at Oakton High School entitled "Energy & Climate Change: Solutions from the 11th Congressional District to Capitol Hill." Presented by the Clean Water Fund, the Coalition for Smarter Growth, and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, the forum included an in-depth presentation on the science of climate change by Virginia Tech professor Dr. Stephen Schoenholtz and an engaging discussion on climate change and energy solutions with Democratic candidates Doug Denneny, Lori Alexander, and Leslie Byrne. Gerry Connolly was unable to attend the event due to a scheduling conflict.

A wide range of questions, touching on land use, transportation options, energy alternatives and efficiency, and economic considerations allowed the candidates to offer a range of solutions for long-term energy sustainability and climate change. The good news is that there are many actions that individuals and each level of government can take to address the energy and climate change challenge.  We need Congress to take bold action on global climate change and our energy future.  Our next District 11 Representative will have the opportunity to be a leader on the environment for our region and our nation."

That last sentence is certainly true.  But if you have a "scheduling conflict" for an event like this, what kind of leadership is that?!?

What was the other event?

In Tyson's Corner with West Group and Lerner.

!

In March of 2006, he stated that he "strongly supports" Va's right-to-work law.

On another front, with a stroke of a pen he could give state and local employees the right to engage in real collective bargaining for better wages and working conditions.  As it is, the state is in violation of the Internation Labor Organization (which the U.S. is part of) since it considers collective bargaining as a basic civil right for all.