On Monday, I listed what I believe to be Tim Kaine's "Top 20 Successes" as Governor. Now, as promised, here are his Top 20 Failures. Oh, and for anyone who says this is just "Monday Morning QB'ing," I recommend that you go to the Raising Kaine archives and observe that on pretty much all of this, we were saying at the time - and strongly - that we disagreed with Gov. Kaine. Just thought I'd mention that. ;)1. Signing the estate tax repeal, which took $120 million every year out of the general fund (thus harming everything from education to health care to public safety) in order to benefit 871 super-rich people. Mark Warner wisely vetoed this idiocy. Tim Kaine? Not so much.
2. Signing the "transportation monstrosity," including regional taxation authorities (would have balkanized the state; later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Virginia) and "abuser fees" (repealed after a popular revolt, including hundreds of thousands of online signatures).
3. In signing the "transportation monstrosity," taking away a big issue that Democrats could have used in their 2007 Virginia House and Senate campaigns.
4. Standing with Speaker Howell in July 2007 "to try to quell the public outcry over the 'abusive driver' fees aimed at drunken and reckless motorists." Brilliant!
5. Not opening up to competition the multi-billion-dollar, no-bid Bechtel boondoggle for Metro to Dulles, as well as reversing course and supporting a lame-ass "aerial option" for Tysons Corner as opposed to the smart-growth-friendly tunnel.
6. Attending a Dominion Power-sponsored reception for him at Red Rocks during the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. Corporate influence - in this case a very bad actor - on our politicians at its slimy worst.
7. Taking the DNC Chair job instead of staying 100% focused on a) being governor of Virginia; and b) electing Democrats in 2009. Instead, Kaine took his eye off the ball - or, to use a better metaphor, was juggling too many balls at the same time - and ended up doing several jobs not so well instead of one job well.
8. Signing, with minor amendments, a Dominion Power lobbyist-written utility reregulation bill.
9. Supporting a new, coal-fired power plant in Wise County, Virginia. Once again, Dominion calls, Tim Kaine answers.
10. So far at least, failing to issue an executive order restoring the voting rights of ex-felons, people who've served their time and paid their debt to society. That puts Virginia in a category with pretty much one other state - Kentucky - on this front, a shameful legacy of Jim Crow and efforts to keep African Americans from voting. Disgraceful.
11. Unbelievably, signing a bill that banned the use of state funds for embryonic stem cell research. I've written extensively on this issue and feel passionately about it. Unfortunately, Tim Kaine appears to have let his personal religious beliefs - which I respect - influence his decision in this area (even while he overrode those beliefs in the case of capital punishment).
12. Heading out of the state while hundreds of thousands of Virginians were without power and being pounded by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. Brilliant.
13. Allowing the Democratic gubernatorial primary last spring to get completely out of hand (e.g., viciously nasty) after saying that he would be watching closely to make sure that exact scenario didn't come to pass.
14. Intervening in a Democratic congressional primary against his own former ticketmate (and strong progressive), Leslie Byrne, after his office said that he didn't endorse in Democratic primaries. Way to be loyal AND get your base behind you. Not!
15. Fundamentally failing to understand that House Republicans had absolutely ZERO interest in working with him. Instead, Kaine kept "reaching his hand across the aisle," and kept getting that hand smacked back in his face (bad metaphor alert?). You'd think he would have figured this out after the first legislative session, maybe even the second, but no. Instead, he just kept coming back from more...and more...and more...ugh.
16. Despite constantly reaching across the aisle, having pretty much nothing to show for it on the major goals he set out to achieve when he became governor: universal pre-kindergarten, fixing transportation, making major strides on energy/environment, pushing "smart growth," etc.
17. Refusing to provide details about his travels outside of Virginia as DNC Chair. That travel included spending nearly half of October out of state. Of course, as Anita Kumar pointed out, Kaine's release of travel details was "made following pressure by the media and others to disclose his whereabouts." Also, "his office waited a few extra days and released the information on Election Day when his schedule would likely be overhadowed by other news." Ugh.
18. I realize that Kaine's an optimist, but given the economic meltdown which began in the fall of 2008, you'd think that Virginia budget projections might have been ratcheted down substantially. Instead, they were consistently way too optimistic, the result of which was the recurring need to announce huge, additional cuts to the budget in the middle of an election cycle. Greeaaaaat.
19. Kaine's response to George W. Bush's 2006 State of the Union address was not particularly well received by critics, including Marc Fisher, who wrote that Kaine, "usually a confident and graceful speaker who ad libs with impressive control and sweep, seemed nervous and spoke painfully slowly at first."
20. Last but not least, I'm not sure what percent of Creigh Deeds' loss can be attributed to the "referendum on Tim Kaine's governorship" category, but even if it's 10%, it's still a "failure" on the part of Kaine (just as if Kaine had lost in 2005 would have been a "loss" for Mark Warner).