DNC CHAIR TIM KAINE? Virginia Governor To Become Next Chairman Of Democratic Party

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama has selected Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee, two Democrats said Sunday.

The officials spoke to The Associated Press on a condition of anonymity because the decision had not yet been officially announced. The Washington Post first reported the selection Sunday on its Web site.

Kaine plans to work at the party part-time until 2010, when his term as governor is up and he can take over the DNC full-time.

Current DNC chairman Howard Dean plans to step down Jan. 21, the day after Obama's inauguration.

Obama has also chosen Jennifer O'Malley Dillon, who directed his successful campaign battleground state strategy, to run day-to-day operations at the party as executive director.

With Democrats controlling the White House and Congress, the new DNC chairman will be responsible for reinforcing the White House message, preparing for the 2010 midterm elections and raising money.

The Republican National Committee is set to decide in the coming weeks between six candidates for chairman, including current head Mike Duncan, who is running for re-election. The new RNC head will be expected to take the lead in responding to the Democratic administration as well as rebuilding a party left in tatters after sweeping defeats in two straight elections.

Kaine campaigned vigorously for Obama in Virginia during his presidential run. The day after the election, Kaine said Obama's triumph in the state _ the first for a Democrat seeking the presidency in 44 years _ was the apex of everything he had worked for since law school.

Kaine was mentioned as a possible running mate after Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination; Delaware Sen. Joe Biden eventually won that spot. After the election, Kaine was mentioned as a potential choice to serve as education secretary; Obama instead chose Chicago schools superintendent Arne Duncan. In November, Kaine said he wasn't interested in the DNC job.

He won election to the Virginia governor's office in 2005. In January 2006, he was chosen to deliver the Democratic response to President George W. Bush's State of the Union address.

Virginia law prohibits an incumbent governor from running for re-election.

A former DNC chairman, Terry McAuliffe, said Saturday he intends to run for governor of Virginia. In a video posted on his Web site, McAuliffe said he will make his intention to run official on Wednesday as part of a weeklong campaign kickoff.

McAuliffe faces two other Democrats who have been active for nearly a year in an already contentious nomination fight to succeed Kaine. State Sen. Creigh Deeds narrowly lost the attorney general's race in 2005, and former House Democratic Caucus chairman Brian Moran is also in the race.

The Democratic nominee will face Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell, who is unchallenged for his party's nomination, in the Nov. 3 election.

Comments

[ShawnMeredith89]

In Continuation:

Kaine will be the reason that Obama will win in his re-election bid in 2012... given that the Mayan were wrong about the world ending. Chairman Kaine will gather more red states as the years go on. The electoral map will prove to be depressing for Republicans when the only states they have are ones like Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, Idaho, Oklahoma, Alabama and Kentucky. Thats just my prediction. Maybe it'll look like that by 2016. The point is, Kaine will set the stage for a liberal, if not at least a center - left, America that will live for a few decades and then die, just as the Republican party is doing right now. We'll all be hollering and crying for a Republican in 20 years or so. Come to think of it... won't Sarah Palin be Hillary's age in 20 years? If not pretty darn close to it right? Can you image if her career went on and she built a reputation... and a bigger support web.. and then she said she wants be the first female.. No! I must stop. Anyways, sorry for the digression. Tim Kaine is the next DNC Chair. He'll take the 50 state strategy from Howard Dean and use it perfectly. Cheers to a liberal America leading the world for at least 25 years until something happens and its President - Elect Palin and Vice President - Elect Jindal!

[ShawnMeredith89]

The party chair may not have been as important to president's in the past, but to Obama, a party chair is extremely important. Kaine will be the person that organizes all the democrats together and reaches out to independents. He'll have to sort of be like an army general. Going across the country with the whole organization. Conquering republican territory. You know how Obama sometimes used to go to certain states during the campaign, real conservative parts of our country. You'd see it on CNN and just think "Why the hell is he even going there? He'll never win in Montana of all places". Yet the differences between McCain and Obama was only 3% points,a mere 12,000 more people...IN MONTANA!" 242,000 people went for Sen. McCain, and 230,000 went for Pres- Elect Obama. No he did not win in Montana, but hat he did was build a huge amount of support and a really strong democratic base in states that havent gone blue since the 90s and some that havent since the 60s (Virginia)! Tim Kaine happens to be my great governor of Virginia. He's a good guy. He helped Obama enormously in Virginia, and was one of the first people to openly support Obama's candidacy. He thinks like Obama in that they how to make a strong grass roots coalition of people. Surely, young people and minority groups will have a louder voice that every before in our history.

[ema]

Tim Kaine has been picked chair of the RNC. Oops, I meant DNC.

[Kartoffel]

I'd call him Tim McKaine but he's actually more conservative than John.

[joe8track]

wrong. as a Virginian Democrat, I'd ask folks to learn more about Gov. Kaine before posting wrong comments.

[rollingdivision]

President-elect Obama has chosen anti choice, pro abstinence education, anti embryonic stem cell research, anti labor, anti union, anti same-sex marriage and anti civil union Tim Kaine to chair the DNC.

[joe8track]

Hopefully, you'll discover how wrong you are.

[ScandalousCandice7]

Yeah but we need someone else to come along for Virginia. Terry McAuliffe cannot get that seat.

[sandals]

glad to see Tim Kaine to take this position, i hope he keeps up with the Howard Dean's, 50 state strategy.
which helped the Dems in the last two election cycles.

[Fremon]

I was going to make the same comments. I hope this man is a visionary as was Dean. Dr. Dean you were wonderful and did not receive the proper accolades from the Democratic presidential candidates. He should have been on the stage when all the "leaders" were reveling with Obama after he was declared presient - elect. I believe the 50 state strategy was an inspiration which not all the "leaders" agreed with. It helped tremendously in getting a larger democratic congress. I worry about the Democratic party with Reid and Pelosi in charge and would like to see more forceful leadership instead of the spineless actions we got as they rolled over for the retards.

[ObjectiveRealist]

Q: What is a story with no named source, and not a cover-up of a scandal, cloaked in bogus claims of "state secret" or "national security"?
A: A rumor

* The teacher will give bonus points for the answer "tabloid trash".

[changeweseek]

He humiliates him passive-ag­gressively -- by ignoring the person who made his own candidacy possible- ninetysteps
You cant be serious he owes howard dean as much as he owes me for donating 20 dollars and making phonecalls as long as he keeps his campaign promiseshe kept his word he didnt tell dean look if i when I'll give you a job and if he did do that we would be talking about how corrupt politicians are.Howard dean doesnt expect anything he did a great job cause hel oves his country and seeing his country suceed is the best reward

[JenMI]

huh?

[Fremon]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Bad night or bad drugs?????????????

[orangepetal]

I am so happy. I was hoping he would he would be more in security, anyway he seems like a wonderful person so I'm thrilled.

[AlP]

orangepetal is a bot. Marked as spam.

[marinade]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/1/4/16467/07961

Kaine is another DLC flunky.

It keeps getting better and better...........

[JackNasty]

This comment from the Daily Kos describes Kaine's real value as well as anyone could:

"The myth that Kaine and the DLC would like to sow is that he knows how to win in a red state, by coddling business and taking a very cautious, regressive, and ultimately self-defeating approach to policies; and by distancing himself from the party base and liberal/progressive values.

In fact, he won because the Governorship was handed to him by former Gov. Mark Warner, the Republican candidate was weak, and he rode the early anti-Bush sentiment in Nov 2005 (post Hurricane Katrina, when Bush's incompetence was exposed)."

[Carolab]

Kaine got a lot of help getting elected from Mr. Dean and Democracy For America. I am not pleased with this pick.

[marlainWA]

I wonder what Howard will do now? I really feel he is the most responsible for the dems winning with his 50 state idea. Doesn't seem fair to be used like that.

[NCYvonne]

Used? He did the job he was hired to do well. He got paid for it. He always said he would serve one term. How was he used?

Oh, I get it. Unless Obama rewarded him with a plum assignment or cabinet post, then he was used? OK. Makes perfect sense.

[marinade]

You're right, Yvonne. He wasn't used. He was dumped. The Democratic party has been returned to the DLC. Just when I was starting to think it was my party again.

If you're such a big Obama supporter, maybe you should keep in mind that it was Dean who motivated many of us to become involved in the campaign.

Political capital slipping away.

[blastit]

I don't like the looks of this guy he looks like a republican I'm convinced that many rethughs have infiltrated the democratic party, I was happy with HOward Dean

[ebanks84]

Good choice.

[marinade]

very convincing.

[vjoseph]

Ok Tim, make GA blue, like the ocean! I am tired of living in sea of red idio.ts

[Freesia2]

My sympathies.

[NotMcCain]

I'm thrilled Obama won and his Cabinet is a great representation of America.

But...just curious.....who are the progressive Democrats advising him?

From Emmanuel....to Clinton....to Jarvis....to (well, name them) I can't think of ONE.

They are certainly all highly qualified (unlike Bush's picks), but basically just a shift to the center from rightwing Bush (or McCain-Palin) agenda...Right?

[vjoseph]

Hilda Solis, Melody Barnes, Paul Krugman is advising him

[ArchAngel]

The first two are single issue racial appointments. Not progressives, not gays. Advisers are irrelevant.