No VP for Gov. Kaine, just a sea of red ink

Tim Kaine Fails the Audition; Will Have to Settle for Being Governor
Frederick says Obama couldn’t risk being saddled with Kaine’s record; urges Governor to come home and focus on fixing his administration’s budget shortfall
Richmond, Virginia (August 23, 2008) – With his runner-up status in Vice Presidential politics now confirmed, Governor Tim Kaine should retreat from the glitz and glamour of the national spotlight and return to his responsibilities as Governor, said Delegate Jeffrey M. Frederick, Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. “I’m sure Tim Kaine enjoyed the attention he received as Barack Obama’s surrogate; attending rallies, traveling the country, going on the Sunday morning talk shows and being showered in confetti at each stop,” Frederick said. “But Tim Kaine will not be Vice President this year, and he must now set aside his ambitions to focus on getting back to work as Governor, particularly now, given the budget mess we find ourselves in – likely a billion dollars in the red.” Frederick was referring to predicted budget shortfall that was created in large part due to Kaine’s faulty economic projections and profligate spending. Frederick added that Kaine’s weak leadership and lack of any signature accomplishment was too much even for Obama to ignore. “Tim Kaine’s only virtue as a potential running mate is that he would not have overshadowed Senator Obama – as he is one politician in America less prepared to lead America than Obama himself” said Frederick. “But by every other measure, Kaine would have been a disaster for Obama: a first-term liberal governor with absolutely no accomplishments, who just abandoned his home state in the midst of a massive budget deficit to campaign for a promotion,” Frederick added. Larry Sabato, Director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, said last month that Kaine ranks at the bottom in performance of Virginia Governors: “Having known every governor since Albertis Harrison (1962-1966) and having studied the records of the dozen most recent governors, I would characterize Kaine's term to this point as belonging to the bottom quartile.” “With or without Tim Kaine in the race, John McCain has the experience and leadership that Virginians want in their Commander-in-Chief. I am confident he will carry Virginia’s thirteen electoral votes as Republicans have done since 1968,” Frederick said.