The progressive case for Tim Kaine as VP

[LoverOfLiberty]

I know this article will probably not change too many minds but if you are wrapped up in opposing him because of what you've read on here or other Democratic sites, please give the following article a read. If nothing else, it might help to have a better picture of him if Hillary does pick him.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/krystal-ball/the-progressive-case-for-_2_b_10773840.html

[tallahasseedem]

1. Great read!

Thank you for posting!

[TheBlackAdder]

58. The "Hard Sell" is indicative of a poor selection. If he were solid, pressure would not be required.

[pnwmom]

67. Wrong. There are many here who would disparage anyone who wasn't their first choice.

This will help to counter some of the false impressions that are being put out about Kaine, who is a liberal, despite what some here might say. That's why he won his first election in the largely black city of Richmond.

[TheBlackAdder]

69. Outside of the Democratic bubble, this will prove to be a questionable choice.

[pnwmom]

73. LOL.

[TheBlackAdder]

75. ROFLMAO

My teenager had to remind me of this, since no one uses LOL and others anymore.

[pnwmom]

78. I'm not trying to pose as a teenager here. n/t

[Beartracks]

84. Wait, what? I'm already behind the times??

OMGWTFBBQ!!!








LOL

==================

[Grey Lemercier]

85. outside of the politically obsessed bubble, this will prove a great choice

Kaine has always had my support. We need solid, pragmatic liberalism, not airy-fairy fringe lefty stuff.

Now, onwards to slay the dragon that is Trump!!!

[Craig234]

87. Another insult to Bernie supporters

Last edited Sat Jul 23, 2016, 03:23 AM - Edit history (1)

"Kaine has always had my support. We need solid, pragmatic liberalism, not airy-fairy fringe lefty stuff. "


First, the attack is false. Learn to argue for your position without the false attacks on those with other opinions.

Second, the attack the wrong way to treat people.

Third, it's bad politics for Hillary supporters to be attacking the 40-something percent of Democrats who preferred him this way.

Save the administrators and jurors and me the bother from falsely claiming this post is fighting the primary or is'divisive'. That's what YOUR post is doing (poorly). This one is not. It's about your post, now, having nothing to do with the primary.

[Grey Lemercier]

89. Hillary is not attacking anyone.

Sanders lost.

Far left stances are not majoritarian in the USA.

Hillary is going to win with Kaine as VP in 2016.

I am just stating facts, not attacking anyone either.

[Craig234]

92. My post had nothing to do with anything Hillary said

It was a response to a poster, not to a Hillary comment.

And "far left" is a false pejorative. Maoists are far left. Bernie's FDR policies are not.

You say Bernie lost the primary. That's a straw man - this has nothing to do with the primary.

I hope Hillary does win with Kaine in VP in 2016, who I plan to vote for against trump.

And that is changing the subject, which you did not respond to.

[Grey Lemercier]

93. "Third, it's bad politics for Hillary to be attacking the 40-something percent of Democrats"

From your post.

[Craig234]

94. Thanks for catching my error in that post

I meant to say Hillary supporters. I'll edit it.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

101. THE PRIMARIES ARE OVER!!!!

[Craig234]

102. Then

POST TO THE PERSON WHO IS ATTACKING BERNIE'S SUPPRTERS AND POLICIES, NOT THE PEOPLE WHO CRITCIZE IT.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

113. The primaries are over!!!!!

[Craig234]

114. Then post that to the peerson making primary attacks, not the person criticizng them!!!!!!!!

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

115. THE PRIMARIES ARE OVER!!!!!

[Craig234]

116. You type that - now learn it an stop just being obnoxious

[raindaddy]

100. Don't worry about "any kind" of lefty stuff...

Because as the Democratic party locks down the moderate Republican vacancy created by the Republican clown car veering off a cliff it's abandonment of the FDR populist party will increase the progressive abandonment of the party that is already underway.

We're already at the point where both parties combined barely makeup half the electorate..

[annavictorious]

2. That article can't be right.

I've been reading from some very concerned people here that Kaine is a boring, bank-loving, gay-hating establishment bigot who is also WHITE and MALE.

Hillary should pick Dr. West. He's a real Democrat.

[MoonRiver]

5. You clearly have not accessed your Inner Concern.

[Bluenorthwest]

10. As Governor Kaine signed into law the Marshall-Newman Amendment, which defined

marriage as being only for God's chosen straight couples. He did so after promising to veto it when running for that office. A person who had spoken of and acted toward any other minority the way Kaine has LGBT would not even be considered a decent Democrat.

I get that straights don't mind homophobic bigots, but I do.

[LoverOfLiberty]

14. This is what The Advocate says about him

The U.S. senator from Virginia, formerly the state’s governor, is said to be near the top of the list. Kaine, considered a moderate, was once only a lukewarm supporter of LGBT causes and an outright opponent of marriage equality. In 2001, when he was running for lieutenant governor of Virginia, he told the Associated Press, “I have never said I supported gay civil unions, gay marriages. I do believe that people shouldn’t be kicked out of their jobs or discriminated against because of who they are.” He did say he supported some way to give same-sex couples in long-term relationships access to certain benefits enjoyed by married opposite-sex couples. But in 2006, as governor, he campaigned against a measure to amend the state’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage; it passed anyway. When running for governor in 2005, he opposed adoption rights for gay couples or individuals, but by 2011, running for Senate, he had changed his mind and said they should be able to adopt if a judge determined that it was the best interest of the child. As governor he issued an executive order banning antigay discrimination against state employees. In 2013, his first year in the Senate, he announced his support for marriage equality. So far in his Senate service, he has received a 90 percent rating on the Human Rights Campaign's Congressional Scorecard.

I get that he has a poor record for LGBT issues but he has mostly come around. We have to allow our politicians to evolve.

[iandhr]

17. +1

[LoverOfLiberty]

18. Please

lets not get distracted with primary battles. I didn't live in VA during the time that Kaine was anti-gay so I don't have that particular grudge, but I can understand why some do.

[annavictorious]

21. I'm just pointing out that Sanders was "anti-gay" in similar ways to Kaine,

but he was allowed to evolve without being held to purity tests. Kaine should be extended the same courtesy.

And I'm doing this in fairness to the man who might be on the bottom of the ticket.

[bjobotts]

23. He also supported the TPP and deregulating Wall street and the Big banks

[annavictorious]

26. TPP is dead

and the simplification of rules involved community banks and credit unions, not big banks.

Amazing how many Democrats in the Democratic base are grasping at straws for an excuse not to vote for the Democratic nominee.

[FighttheFuture]

48. TPP is not dead. Obama has teed it up very well for a possible passing in the lame duck session.

[Arkana]

61. Literally nothing is going to pass in a lame-duck session.

Seriously, where have you been since 2014?

[FighttheFuture]

118. Seriously? You think that is not possible? Where HAVE YOU BEEN?!

[Craig234]

90. Concerns about TPP are not "an excuse not to vote for the Democratic nominee"

I'm appalled at how much authoritarianism and hatred toward dissent there is by some *Democrats*.

Every position not in agreement with the nominee is deserving of attack and censorship in the name of "unity".

I'm not here to post about TPP at all in this post or take any position on Hillary/Kaine on TPP, but to comment on the hostility.

Some facts:

Hillary called the TPP the 'Gold Standard'. Republicans have overwhelmingly supported the TPP. President Obama supports it. I don't have info other than media reports but they've said Kaine supports it.

So, some people oppose the TPP. Hillary has strongly come out against it. Opposing it is not advocating for trump, even if he opposes it, which I very much doubt he really does - he just recognizes the politics of saying so.

But there's a possible narrative, given Hillary's careful nuancing of some progressive positions in the primary, whereby some minor tweaking is done to the TPP which she says addresses the problems and now she supports it.

Progressives claim betrayal, others say 'who cares you feel betrayed', and what'd done is done. Not unlike happened with Obama on some issues he ran on.

So, it's a valid discussion for people to say they're concerned about the issue, without being falsely attacked that having that position is the same as saying not to vote for Hillary.

That authoritarian sort of attempt to censor Democrats and discussion is wrong IMO.

For every post I see discussing an issue I seem to see several with this sort of attack for having posted an opinion on it.

[LoverOfLiberty]

28. Not exactly

I get that "deregulating Big banks" is red meat for Liberals, but what was actually proposed was:

The senators asked regulators to reconsider aspects of two sets of rules designed to ensure that large banks have enough financial resources to withstand another crisis. Kaine did not endorse dramatic de-regulatory measures, but asked for changes for "regional banks that do not share the same risk profile or complexity as their larger, systemically important brethren."

and

Kaine was one of 70 senators who signed a one-page letter asking Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray to try to "prevent any unintended consequences that negatively impact community banks and credit unions or unnecessarily limit their ability to serve consumers," although the letter did not call for the rollback of any specific regulation.

I sure wish people would do a little more research before throwing out accusations that are easily disproved.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/tim-kaine-banking-letter-225953

[annavictorious]

33. But you're harshing the narrative with these facts!

[stopbush]

80. Exactly. We want to win people over to our side of the issue

then we castigate them for not having always agreed with us.

I would prefer a politician like Tim Kaine who is open to change than a politician (name left unsaid) who never changes their position. For while that may be admirable on issues that we agree on, it's less admirable when that same politician is inflexible on, say, gun control, or any other issue where their convictions don't align eith our convictions.

[FSogol]

108. Total lie. That became law by being ratified by the Citizens of VA. It was

a public referendum and never signed by the Governor. The courts threw it out. Stop spreading misinformation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall-Newman_Amendment

[csziggy]

117. #8 - yet AGAIN - FALSE! It was a voter initiative which the governor did not sign

The governor did not sign it and could not have stopped it.

SB 526 Constitutional amendment; marriage may exist only between a man and woman.

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); marriage. Provides for a referendum at the November 2006 election on approval of a proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage. The proposed amendment provides that "only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions." The proposed amendment also prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from creating or recognizing "a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage." Further, the proposed amendment prohibits the Commonwealth or its political subdivisions from creating or recognizing "another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage." This bill is identical to HB 101.

<SNIP>
03/15/06 House: Signed by Speaker
03/16/06 Senate: Signed by President
04/10/06 House: Bill became law without Governor's signature, Chapter 828 (effective 7/1/06)
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?061+sum+SB526

Emphasis added by me.

You need new lies.

[OKNancy]

3. Thanks - the author was a big Bernie supporter fwiw n/t

[Skinner]

4. Good stuff.

[ismnotwasm]

6. K&R

[Bluenorthwest]

7. He was adamantly anti gay until about 20 minutes ago, anyone who describes him as

progressive is a person who defines progressive as inclusive of bigotry. Any politician who had attacked any other minority group as Kaine has LGBT would be driven out of this Party, but anti gay bigots get rewarded.

[ismnotwasm]

19. He has a 90% rating from the Human Rights Campaign

[annavictorious]

24. That's not true, and you don't get to define words for others.

Like Obama, Clinton, Sanders, and the American people in general, Kaine has evolved on this issue.

Yes, I know, I know, some people think only senators from Vermont are allowed to evolve. All others must pass arbitrary purity tests imposed by the official word definers, but I reject that premise

https://votesmart.org/public-statement/1005392/warner-kaine-introduce-comprehensive-lgbt-nondiscrimination-bill&speechType=4#.V5J06Y7KPyU

http://wavy.com/2016/05/04/senators-mark-warner-tim-kaine-ask-for-lgbt-guidelines-for-schools/

http://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-urges-court-to-recognize-protections-for-lgbt-americans

[Grey Lemercier]

86. that's not true

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2013/03/28/what-you-might-have-missed-from-gay-marriages-big-week/

As the Supreme Court wrestled with the legality of gay marriage, Democratic senators were falling all over themselves to embrace it on moral grounds.

In the past week alone, Sens. Mark Begich (Alaska), Tim Kaine (Va.), Kay Hagan (N.C.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Jon Tester (Mont.) and Mark Warner (Va.) all came out in support of gay marriage. There are now only nine Democratic senators who do not support same-sex marriage: Tom Carper (Del.), Bob Casey (Pa.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Tim Johnson (S.D.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Joe Manchin (W.V.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), and Mark Pryor (Ark.). Of those, Johnson no longer supports DOMA. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also says her views are "evolving."

Democrats appear to have decided that the Supreme Court cases are a tipping point and that if they don't back gay marriage now, history (and gay voters and donors) will treat them unkindly. And, of course, two weeks ago the first Republican senator, Ohio's Rob Portman, came out in support of gay marriage. This past Sunday, Karl Rove said the GOP could have a candidate in 2016 with the same position.

[NYC Liberal]

8. K&R. Thank you.

[democrattotheend]

9. As a former Virginian and a progressive, I don't think he is terrible

I wouldn't call him a staunch progressive but I certainly wouldn't call him a DINO either. He's nowhere near someone like Lieberman or Blanche Lincoln or Zell Miller. I don't think he is a bad pick at all. I just think there are better options on the table who are more exciting, in terms of progressiveness, diversity, and overall excitement factor.

Thanks for posting this. It was a good reminder that he has a progressive streak.

[bjobotts]

25. But compared to Warren or Sen Merkley or Sherrod Brown. Keep in mind this VP will become president

one day and I would rather have a real progressive than a DLC corporatist dem

[annavictorious]

32. "Keep in mind that this VP will become president"

You mean like Biden?

And according to the Atlantic, even senators from Vermont fail the "real progressive" purity test.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/02/progressive-sanders-clinton/459978/
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/2/5/1479847/-The-Progressive-Purity-Test-Scoreboard
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/2/6/1480932/-Bernie-Fails-Another-of-His-Own-Purity-Tests
https://extremeliberal.wordpress.com/2016/02/04/bernie-sanders-progressive-purity-test/

[democrattotheend]

36. Who says this VP will become president some day?

The last 2 VP's have not even run. And Gore faced primary opposition, although he did have a lot of advantages in the primaries from being VP.

Whoever Hillary picks is in no way guaranteed to be the nominee or even to run in 8 years.

[Arkana]

62. Really? He'll be President one day?

Cause VP track records aren't good when it comes to succeeding their bosses. Only two that have done it the traditional way are John Adams and George H.W. Bush--literally every other case had an assassination or a death in office precede it.

[TonyPDX]

105. Exactly. Well said. n/t

[Wounded Bear]

11. Certainly an interesting read...

and counter to much of what I've heard about him.

Perhaps there is hope after all.

[mountain grammy]

12. Thanks for opening my eyes a bit..

I'm feeling a little better about him. Good article.

[MoonRiver]

13. Great read! Thanks!

[Pacifist Patriot]

16. Thanks for that!

[Doctor Jack]

20. Maybe I have just gone along with the assumptions about him

I just heard over and over that he is a conservative democrat with little appeal. Maybe I should be more cautious and do my own rearch. Perhaps he isnt the dull or uninspired choice i thought he would be.

Hell, if obama is such a big fan of him, maybe he would be a wise choice?

[Capt. Obvious]

22. The Democratic case against him

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_elections,_2010

[farmboy]

27. Look deeper, my friend. So many issues NOT mentioned in the article. Read the accompanying comments

What about his support for TPP and, JUST EARLIER THIS WEEK, his anti-big bank regulations!!! Good grief!

Here are two post-column comments that raise other topics on which Kaine is not so progressive, and that go a long way toward my disbelief that Kaine will be chosen by Hillary.


(Posted from Huffington Post comments board following the article "The Progressive Case for Time Kaine as VP by Krystal Ball)

Charles Callaghan · Works at Small business owner

Kaines positions are in line with what most corporate dems advocate. They don't make him a progressive. Where is he on medicare for all? On $15 federal minimum wage? On making public colleges tuition free? On corporate trade deals that kills American jobs? On getting big money out of politics? On breaking up to big to fail banks? On closing loopholes for billionaires and wealthy corporations so they start to pay their fair share? On green energy? On ending the war on our citizens that use drugs and ending mass incarceration of our citizens? On avoiding military conflicts in the Middle east? Etc

Jim Nastic

Charles, you are so right when you ask for progressive bona fides. There seems to be confusion on the part of many of our younger liberals who think that positions on guns and abortion define a progressive. They are social positions that help distinguish between liberals and conservatives for sure; but they aren't the positons that define a progressive. Progressives are defined by the Teddy Roosevelt and FDR values of fair wages, healthcare security, paid vacations, secure retirements, overtime protections, disability insurance, free public education, and a commitment to protecting the environment.

[LoverOfLiberty]

29. Read my response above about his "anti big-bank regulations"

Honestly, I don't support or not support the man, I just find it surprising that so many people are willing to vilify him simply by what other people claim.

I'll support whoever Hillary chooses.

Read about his actual positions here

[Miles Archer]

30. First, I know absolutely nothing about "The Intercept" as a "news source"...

...but if you do a Google search on "Tim Kaine TPP," this is the first thing that comes up:

https://theintercept.com/2016/07/21/hours-before-hillary-clintons-vp-decision-likely-pick-tim-kaine-praises-the-tpp/

Hillary Clinton’s rumored vice presidential pick Sen. Tim Kaine defended his vote for fast-tracking the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on Thursday.

Kaine, who spoke to The Intercept after an event at a Northern Virginia mosque, praised the agreement as an improvement of the status quo, but maintained that he had not yet decided how to vote on final approval of the agreement. By contrast, Hillary Clinton has qualified her previous encouragement of the agreement, and now says she opposes it.

With only hours to go before Clinton announced her pick, Kaine was unabashed in defending his vote. “Fast track was to give President Obama the same tools to negotiate a trade deal that every president since Gerald Ford has had, and of course I voted for that,” Kaine said. “Why would I not give to this president the same tools to negotiate a trade deal that other presidents have had?”

So that is truth...he actually spoke to them, as they claim, or it is fiction. It's either a source that is a "right wing rag" or it's not.

But if he is still "all in" for the TPP, it makes it pretty challenging to build a "progressive" case for him.

[underpants]

31. "the way Kaine won in Virginia" I was a part of that

We canvassed the crisp out of the suburbs. Two teams in one county to the east and west of Richmond and two teams south of the river which is heavy Red. When the numbers came in from south of the river everyone knew Kaine had been elected to the Senate.

I posted this earlier today about my experiences with him.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512275840

[ismnotwasm]

34. Interesting

Thank you for that

[Zen Democrat]

35. Article Schmarticle, I know his record. He's as far to the right as a Dem can get and still be Dem.

[LoverOfLiberty]

39. So...

Zell Miller Democrat?

[obamanut2012]

72. Absolutely not even close

He is left-moderate.

H eis far, far from Miller or Webb.

[Jakes Progress]

82. Yeah. Let's not read and learn.

Let's just state shit without any evidence or support. After all, it seemed to work okay for trump's acceptance speech.

[angrychair]

37. He acts counter to Clinton's stated public positions

Kaine supports things like TPP, which Clinton, as a policy position, opposes.



Then there is this:
"In a letter co-signed by 15 other Senate Democrats — and every Senate Republican — Kaine asked the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to exempt community banks and credit unions from many of its regulatory requirements."

And this:

"In a second letter to the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Kaine and his co-signers argue that large regional banks like PNC, BB&T, and SunTrust should be exempt from two regulations meant to reduce their risk of collapse."

Source:
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/07/clinton-vp-favorite-pushes-for-bank-deregulation.html

[LoverOfLiberty]

40. You are cherry picking

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=2277189

[angrychair]

44. No, I'm not

I, unlike you, know that anything signed onto by every senate republican is never anything a Democrat should be proud to have their name on.
That any effort to weaken consumer protections and banking regulations is not in our best interest and is in the interest of large banks.

We know that such efforts are not endorsed by the president and not inline with Clinton's stated policy positions.

You are also "cherry picking" as you choose to reference the banking issue and ignore Kaine's public endorsement of the the TPP, as recently as a 2 days ago, in contrast to Clinton's stated opposition to TPP.

[LoverOfLiberty]

46. I never mentioned TPP

I get it that it is a sore spot for many people. Personally, I think he has less influence over the passage of it as VP than as Senator.

The banking issue was a very small regulation that was blown up into full deregulation.

Finally, anything that Clinton's VP is not in line with will quickly be in line with.

[angrychair]

47. You didn't mention TPP, I did

In the post you responded to as "cherry picking".

Your response is making excuses for Kaine on a serious issue.
I'm not speaking to a public position he had 5 years ago but 5 days ago.
As VP and a former senator, he will have a great deal of influence on policy in the WH and on what is taken up by the senate Dems (which will hopefully be a Dem majority).
Given that, not just how he "feels", it's not just words, but actual actions that he has taken to work with republicans to push policy that will chip away at consumer protections and banking regulations that are in contrast to our Democratic presidential nominee and are not in the best interest of the middle class and poor, I take serious issues with him being VP.

[LoverOfLiberty]

51. He's a good Democrat

definitely not the progressive that you were hoping for in Sanders, but then again, naming the VP isn't a consolation prize for losing the primary.

[Don Draper]

41. Don't forget that Tim Kaine is a big supporter of right to work legislation

Sorry, but I don't see how any progressive can be anything but repulsed by a vp choice who is so fundamentally wrong on such basic democratic values

[LoverOfLiberty]

45. That's a huge strech

Every article I have read about his stance on it is that it was popular in VA at the time and he went along with it. He did, however, try to appoint head of the Virginia AFL-CIO Danny LeBlanc to be Secretary of Commonwealth, a known opponent to the right-to-work law.

So, you are correct in that he did not directly challenge the right-to-work law in VA, but to say hew is a big supporter is to go way too far.

[Hissyspit]

49. Well, that makes me feel better.

Not.

"He went along with it."

[LoverOfLiberty]

50. It was already the law when he became governor

[Don Draper]

111. Tim Kaine himself said that he is a strong

supporter of right to work legislation. He either means it or he is a liar

[lark]

42. OK, so he's not awful on everything.

However, his stance on TPP is anathema to progressives and the working class of America. You didn't mention anything about him being his pro-corporate, anti-worker leanings. I still don't want him, not for one minute and he will 100% hurt the ticket, especially in the Rust belt where so many American jobs have been lost.

[IronLionZion]

43. Tim Kaine on the issues

http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Tim_Kaine.htm

He was my governor when I lived in VA and I liked him. I supported Bernie and I would gladly support Kaine as VP. He's a good Democrat who is definitely liberal for VA and this area.

My only concern is who would replace him in the Senate.

[Ford_Prefect]

52. My problem with that reference page is that it cites nothing newer than 2012.

what's he been doing over the last 4 years?

[IronLionZion]

59. It has items from 2013, 2014, and 2015

some more info:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Kaine#United_States_Senate

http://www.kaine.senate.gov/issues

[NastyRiffraff]

53. Thanks for posting that!

I live in Maryland, of course close to Virginia, but I wasn't aware of much of what was in that article.

However, I will support anyone Hillary picks. I believe she'll pick the person she believes will best serve the country.

[B Calm]

54. Tim Kaine receives an F with NORML.

The Virginia Senator and former Governor of the Old Dominion state is one of the frontrunners for the Clinton ticket. And that's bad news for marijuana reformers because Kaine received an 'F' in the grades given to each member of congress this year by the National Organization for Reforming Marijuana Laws (NORML). The grade reflects Kaine's staunch opposition to legalization.

While speaking at a Virginia high school last March, Kaine said that he wanted to change America's sentencing laws for marijuana offences, but he opposed repealing pot prohibition. "I wouldn't vote for a law at the federal or state level that would decriminalize marijuana," he said.

[Arkana]

63. On my list of "give a shit" issues weed is way down the list.

[Craig234]

88. It's not way down on my list

I'm against the use of Marijuana outside medical need.

But I'm for its legalization.

In a sentence, some main reasons are the reduction of needless criminal convictions of people, reducing the cost and oppression of excessive law enforcement, reducing the prison population and burden on courts, and especially de-funding the drug cartels.

[B Calm]

97. Marijuana reform is now on the Democratic platform.

http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2016/06/democrats-approve-marijuana-platform-plank/

[TonyPDX]

103. Thanks for the link. Here's another:

http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2016/07/kaine-and-clinton-agree-respect-state-marijuana-laws/

[uponit7771]

98. Pretty middle ofnthe ground position... Doesn't Desrve an f

[SCantiGOP]

55. I look forward

to voting for Clinton/Kaine in November.

[HR_Pufnstuf]

56. tim "war on drugs" kaine?

nuh uh cant be...

[Ikonoklast]

57. Last election we were supposed to hate Blue Dogs.

Now DU loves them.

How far right this site has slid.

[Grey Lemercier]

91. There are many diehard Democrats here who (like myself) happen to be moderates.

I think we won the primaries the last time I checked.

In the overall US electorate, sane sensible moderate liberals like Obama and now Sec. Clinton are the winning ticket. Kaine is cut of the same cloth.

[humbled_opinion]

60. If you like restricting access for

a woman's right to choose what she does with her body, than I guess he is your man..

[Arkana]

64. Kaine is pro-choice. He received a 100% rating from NARAL.

Try again.

[humbled_opinion]

65. He morally opposes abortion.... his words...

[pnwmom]

71. His words: "the last thing we need is government intruding into those personal decisions."

I deeply believe, and not just as a matter of politics, but even as a matter of morality, that matters about reproduction and intimacy and relationships and contraception are in the personal realm. They're moral decisions for individuals to make for themselves. And the last thing we need is government intruding into those personal decisions. So I've taken a position which is quite common among Catholics. I've got a personal feeling about abortion, but the right role for government is to let women make their own decisions.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Governor/Tim_Kaine_Abortion.htm

[Arkana]

76. So what?

So does Joe Biden.

Kaine has, throughout his career, separated his politics from his personal beliefs. He's pro-choice, but privately he opposes abortion. I see nothing wrong with that, seeing as how he's, y'know, Catholic.

[humbled_opinion]

66. Supports Hyde amendment..

but go ahead square the circle...

“Senators Bob Casey, Joe Donnelly, Tim Kaine, and Heidi Heitkamp have all previously stood up for the conscience rights of taxpayers, in support of the Hyde Amendment,”

[ismnotwasm]

68. His own words

…I deeply believe, and not just as a matter of politics, but even as a matter of morality, that matters about reproduction and intimacy and relationships and contraception are in the personal realm. They’re moral decisions for individuals to make for themselves. And the last thing we need is government intruding into those personal decisions.

So I’ve taken a position which is quite common among Catholics. I’ve got a personal feeling about abortion, but the right role for government is to let women make their own decisions. So for example, you know Monday, the Supreme Court is likely to decide a really important case about abortion rights, which is many states, including Virginia, have tried to basically take out the Constitutional right that gives women the ability to choose by putting these onerous regulations on clinics, health clinics, where abortions are provided. We fought those off in Virginia when I was governor because you’ve got to let people make their own moral choices when it comes to matter of reproduction, intimacy, and relationships.

[pnwmom]

77. "Previously" is the operative word. He supports the 2016 party platform, and the anti-abortion crowd

are furious.

http://www.lifenews.com/2016/07/07/proposed-democratic-party-platform-is-so-extreme-on-abortion-even-this-democrat-calls-it-crazy/

Kaine tries to paint himself as a moderate on abortion, but his recent actions and statements indicate that he is aligning himself with the Democratic Party’s radical pro-abortion stances.

[pnwmom]

70. Wrong. He's pro-choice. He doesn't believe government should play a role in that decision.

His personal religious views are his personal religious views and he's never tried to impose them on others.

[obamanut2012]

74. 100% wrong -- he has 100% rating from NARAL

[oswaldactedalone]

79. Love listening to Amy Klobuchar

talk about her great respect for Kaine. I really like her anyway and she clearly admires Kaine as a Senate colleague. BTW, Kaine was born in St. Paul, MN, a fact that Klobuchar was proud to mention.

[MBS]

81. Until recently, Kaine was my senator, too.

And I can verify that Krystal Ball is absolutely right.

[Johnny2X2X]

83. If VA is dark blue

Just makes the map look really good. Trump would have to sweep the all swing states. Hillary is basically starting with 248 EVs not including PA. Win PA and any small New England state and its over the top.

[Scuba]

95. Hey, what's more progressive than deregulating banks?

[CobaltBlue]

99. It's a good question.

[LoverOfLiberty]

104. Did you read the other comments in this thread

specifically where I explained why this is a fallacy?

[Scuba]

106. Why what is a fallacy?

[LoverOfLiberty]

107. That Kaine is for bank deregulation.

The senators asked regulators to reconsider aspects of two sets of rules designed to ensure that large banks have enough financial resources to withstand another crisis. Kaine did not endorse dramatic de-regulatory measures, but asked for changes for "regional banks that do not share the same risk profile or complexity as their larger, systemically important brethren."

and

Kaine was one of 70 senators who signed a one-page letter asking Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray to try to "prevent any unintended consequences that negatively impact community banks and credit unions or unnecessarily limit their ability to serve consumers," although the letter did not call for the rollback of any specific regulation.


http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/tim-kaine-banking-letter-225953

[Scuba]

109. Well, yeah, in those cases. But as of July 20, 2016 ...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tim-kaine-clinton-vp_us_578fc8e3e4b0bdddc4d2c86c

Tim Kaine Calls To Deregulate Banks As He Campaigns To Be Clinton’s VP

Kaine signed two letters on Monday urging federal regulators to go easy on banks ― one to help big banks dodge risk management rules, and another to help small banks avoid consumer protection standards.

[LoverOfLiberty]

110. What I typed out to you

was exactly what you referenced in your post.

He didn't call to "deregulate" banks. That was Zach Carter's spin on it.

I know I probably won't convince you since you seem to be invested in your belief that Hillary/Kaine is a centrist ticket. However, given the stark choice between the two tickets, it seems to me incumbent on those of us who actually do believe in Democratic values to do everything we can to get Hillary elected. Picking out disagreements and magnifying them to insurmountable opposition is exactly the opposite of how we are going to make that happen.

[OnDoutside]

96. If "Progressives" cannot get fired up by the prospect of a Wigged Oompa Loompa, then perhaps they

should take a good look at themselves.

Kaine "marks" Pence very well, almost to the stage of appearing like a pot smoking liberal to a troglodyte.

While he might not fire up some on the left, he most certainly will not fire up the Republicans in the way an Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders, and indeed might help winning over more moderate Republicans who are disgusted with Trump. Maybe even more Mod Reps than the amount throwing a hissy fit on the left.

[niyad]

112. k and r