Speculation about Barack Obama's vice presidential pick is running high. It's down to just a few. Pundits are guessing left and right, analyzing the speakers on the DNC schedule like tea leaves. Does the availability of certain URL's have any significance? Does Kaine's failure to appear on the speaker schedule mean that he's the pick? Or are the speakers after Bill Clinton - Bayh and Biden - the ones to watch?
One thing is for sure, I don't want Senator Obama to pick Governor Kaine.
Now don't get me wrong, I like Kaine despite his somewhat wishy washy views on reproductive rights. I think he's been a good Governor and an asset to the Commonwealth. That's just it, I'd like to keep him where I think he'll do the best job for Virginia - in Richmond.
While Virginia is a key battleground state in this election, that's unusual for the Commonwealth. We've voted for Republican Presidents since the 60's. Over more recent years, however, Democrats have been creeping into Virginia's national political scene. Governor Warner was one of Virginia's most popular governor's ever. He's now running for Republican John Warner's long-time Senate seat against another former Virginia governor, Jim Gilmore. Warner has quite a nice lead. So, for the first time in nobody-remembers-how-long, Virginia will have two Democratic Senators and a Democratic Governor.
If Kaine resigns to run for the Vice Presidency, that leaves Republican Lt. Governor Bill Bolling as our new governor. Pardon me if I don't jump for joy. While Bill Bolling has already indicated that he does not intend to run for governor in 2009, we don't have to worry about being stuck with him for 5 years. But, the expected Republican candidate is even worse - Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell. Having a Republican as governor during the election can only help McDonnell and Virginia's General Assembly is pretty red. That's a recipe for disaster here in Virginia.
McDonnell is about as conservative as they come. He was a big supporter of Virginia's "partial birth abortion ban." The Virginia Court of Appeals declared the ban unconstitutional in May of this year "because it imposes an undue burden on a woman's right to obtain an abortion." McDonnell was not to be deterred and requested an en banc (a full court) hearing of the case by the Court of Appeals. Surprisingly, the Court granted his request.
Why was this surprising? The federal so-called partial birth abortion ban protects doctors who set out to perform a legal abortion and accidentally performs a banned procedure. Virginia's law is even more restrictive. It basically bans a common second trimester abortion procedure and does not protect doctors who inadvertently perform a banned procedure.
McDonnell has even endorsed Gilmore, quite possibly one of the worst governors in Virginia's long and distinguished history. He royally screwed up Virginia's budget, but it gets even better. Remember the Terri Schiavo fiasco? Virginia had a similar case back in 1998. I remember it well because I was in law school at the time. Michelle Finn had petitioned the court to allow her husband to die in a nursing home. Our Worst Governor Ever, Gilmore, intervened in the case, ordering appellate reviews, trying to ram through legislation specific to the Finn case, and basically putting Michele Finn through emotional and financial hell.
This is the candidate McDonnell supports.
So, yeah, if Kaine becomes the VP choice, Virginia may well be stuck with Attila the Hun as governor in the future. With a Republican General Assembly, it should be good times here in the Commonwealth. I'll expect zero funding progress to sort out our transportation mess, cuts in education and necessary social funding, and perhaps even another financial mess like the one Governor Gilmore left for Warner to clean up in 2002.
Senator Obama, I know that you and Tim Kaine are good friends. I know that he's a good man and a good leader. I know that you want to win Virginia. But don't you think that Kaine will do everything he can to help you win Virginia while he's right here, leading the Commonwealth?
For the good of Virginia, please leave our Kaine alone!
When she isn't obsessing about Virginia politics or trying to turn the state blue, Stephanie can be found writing about more mindless things, like shoes and the swear words that pop out of her toddlers' mouths, at Lawyer Mama. Cross posted at MOMocrats.
On the other hand, I suppose Obama Kaine could be what they're snorting. And no one has seriously addressed that eyebrow thing.
I'm fine with anyone but Biden, who contributes to global warming every time he opens his mouth. And tell me again, how many electoral votes does Delaware have?