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

[DrDemon]

A well deserved appointment! Congratulations Tim!

[thirtyninesteps]

I do not like Tim Kaine and Ham. I do not like them, Obama man.

[vjoseph]

Nobody cares

[thirtyninesteps]

Why do you hate Dr. Seuss?

[1manstandin]

I got to admit i like Dean and his work he done this year and helping Our president elect get elected..but Tim Kaine i have faith in his abilites as well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geC4lLGZF_M

[JackNasty]

It's truly disappointing to see the chairmanship of the DNC go to an anti-gay, southern conservative like Kaine. This isn't change. It's more of the same failed triangulation the Clintons attempted to use.

The new, so-called leadership of the Democratic party needs to start appealing to those who voted for them. Republicans aren't going to support them, ever.

[NCYvonne]

Oh, no. Not again with the gays. . .

[thirtyninesteps]

Oh no, Not again with the gay b*a*s*h*e*r*s.

[JackNasty]

Have you ever posted anything about gay people that doesn't express your contempt for their civil rights, particularly their right to redress grievances?

Be careful. Folks in California could vote your civil rights away too.

[dwilkerson]

Newsflash: Virginia voted for Obama.

[JackNasty]

Newsflash: Voters in 49 states DIDN"T vote for Tim Kaine.

[iwantpie]

I like Tim Kaine, and like Kaine I agree with his stance on social issues. This from a social conservative Democratic living in NY.

[MBryant]

One term limit in Virginia?!

That's fairly paranoid. Term limits are interesting for polical junkies, but overall, I think they've gone a bit far. You get a good person in an office, you should be able to keep them awhile. Can't keep a good governor or Pres more than eight years - but you can get stuck with a bad senator forever.

hmmmm...

[SPQR1052]

It's been that way since the constitution was written a couple hundred years! Since Jefferson, etc. In fact the "sons of the commonwealth and author of the federal constitution should have followed the tradition of their mother state! Only one governor in Virginia's history has left after one term and waited 4 years and returned . That was teh Honorable Miles Godwin of this century. It's UNLIKELY that it will repeat.

So, my point is - we've been doing it this way for two centuries or more... It's worked fine so far.

ANOTHER POLITICAL POINT: Virginia's Lieutenant Governor is elected separately of the governor and yes we've had some bi-partisan governments - been doing that way for two centuries!!!

Hey off topic, as someone who grew-up in Virginia's Prince George County (Not Maryland's infamous "Prince George"s" county,) I am not too delighted with two NON VIRGINIAN'S seeking the governorship in 2010 especially not TERRY MCCULLIFFE!!!

[SCVADem]

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine aren't native Virginians, but I agree with you about Terry. :)

[ObamanextPresident]

Howard Dean, Secretary of Commerce!!!!

[marinade]

Judging from the appointments thus far, this would be unlikely. Dean is from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party, remember?

Slowly, it is sinking in. The base is being ignored.

Well, at least McCain didn't win. That's something.

[XME]

The base isn't being ignored...Obama simply is not repeating mistakes of previous presidents. In this case, he's learned that you don't have to fill your cabinet with "the base", pissing off those on the right whose help you'll need, to get their agendas accomplished.

At any rate, it sure would be nice if Dems would learn how to actually give their elect a CHANCE before they condemn him...then they wonder why Dems are rarely elected!

[SparkyDash]

I would love to see Howard in the post!

[whoknew---]

I hope Gov. Kaine has big enough feet to fill the shoes of Mr. Howard Dean...

Now that was some DNC chairman...

Hope to hear some news as to where Dean's new home is going to be in the Democratic party...

[Trogenhorse]

Dean deserves letters from all dems giving him his props for the 50 state strategy!!!. He is to be celebrated for giving our pres a good starting point and showing the use of the internet for politics

[Grunty1]

He deserves apologies from many of them for looking down on his 50 state strategy.

[oscartucker]

"The officials spoke to The Associated Press on a condition of anonymity because the decision had not yet been officially announced. . ." I am so tired of Mr. and Ms. ANONYMOUS opening their mouths. I hope all of this "leaking" and letting out information ahead of time will stop. Is the press passing out money???

[Grunty1]

Isn't it funny that the press is investigating Obama's picks far more than they ever investigated Bush's many criminal activities?

[dizmo4]

why all the hate for Kaine?

Dean only wanted one job--HHS secretary. Daschel got that job. The both were about equally qualified but as a former majority leader in a difficult Senate, Daschel woudl be more likely to actually get Universal health care passed.

Dean has done a remarkable job at DNC. His 50 state strategy was successful -- and as a result your'e seeing a democrat from a red state get to be party chair. Dean's built up the infrastructure to have a 50 state strategy, but now the "swing" voters need to be convinced to vote democratic consistently. To do that, you do need someone that speaks the language like Kaine does.

The future of democratic electoral politics will lay in coastal southern states like Virginia, north carolina, georgia and florida. Ohio, Michigan, PA are losing population to states with warmer climates. Unless the dems can make a serious play to turn VA, NC, FL, GA blue and perminantly blue, any 2008 gains are not a shift in party identification but rather a mere reaction to Bush.

[marinade]

Down in Florida, Dean speaks our language.

The Florida Democratic Party doesn't.

Without Dean, chances are Florida will revert to red.

[Topfeeder]

I hope not but you are 100% right about the state party, weak.

[ArchAngel]

Progressives and gays put in disproportionate amounts of time, effort, and money. Obama, DLC, and your kind are rewarding them by now callously ignoring them and freezing them out.

Don't be surprised by progressives and gays well organized boycott next time you come to them for support. These are America's most Internet savy and they definitely will not be fooled again.

When faced with a choice of the lesser of two evils, there will always be the choice of not participating - Gandhi, Tolstoy.

[NCYvonne]

Gays voted for Obama in lesser numbers than for any Democrat in the past 20 years, a full 10% less than they voted for John Kerry.

Gays overwhelmingly supported Hillary over Obama. What does that tell you? Gays are not responsible for Obama's nomination.

80% of gays voted for Kerry and he still lost. What does that tell you? That gays can not and did not deliver the election to Obama.

Gays are no more important than any other constituency. And since Obama has an 82% approval rating, good luck with your "progressives are furious at Obama" line. Not working.

[dwilkerson]

Howard Dean does not support gay marriage. Why do you guys care if he's replaced by Kaine? Why not try to be the least bit consistent?

[serindipity803]

Kaine is cool - I am so glad he figured into the Obama scheme. He is a great public servant!!

[vjoseph]

Well said

[sherwoodforest]

I am not that impressed with Tim Kaine personally, but can see a strategy necessary to win back the South- just hopefully not by playing meek to issues that matter. What gets Democrats in trouble is not saying what we believe in and standing by it. Fox news will blare and bray about every hiccup and faux mot possible anyway, so lets stand for something. Howard Dean is a hero and deserves whatever HE wants in the party.

[marinade]

Jennifer O'Malley Dillon worked for the Edwards campaign. Ya gotta wonder about the people who worked for him, knowing that he was obviously having an affair.

[thirtyninesteps]

Howard Dean is the best President we never had.

[vjoseph]

Should have picked him instead of Kerry

[thirtyninesteps]

I did pick him over Kerry in the primaries But in the end, I held my nose and voted for the Democratic Nominee John Kerry .AND I held my nose again and voted for the Democratic Nominee Barack Obama. I had to squeeze very hard...

[CherryIce1988]

Howard please don't go, you were the best that ever was, I really wished you could have been President. Anyways isn't Kaine still Gov?

[JDJase]

If you READ the article, it SAYS he will be chairman part time until he is done being governor in January 2010, and then be full time. READ BEFORE COMMENTING

[guajiro]

I think Cherry DID READ the article. The post from CherryIce says: "HOWARD, please don't go".

[thirtyninesteps]

There will be no position for Dean in the Obama administration because Obama does not want to acknowledge his debt to Dean. And Rahm Emanuel is consumed with petty rage at Dean from the 2006 elections when Emanuel's strategy of promoting pro-war candidates failed miserably while Dean's 50-state strategy gave the Dems a majority in Congress. Emanuel was all over the talk shows stealing the credit for the '06 win. And of course, as soon as he was named Chief of Staff, Dean was out the door. The Tim Kaine appointment is political payback for early support, while the Dean exile is political pettiness at it's purest.

[ArchAngel]

Exactly so!

[vjoseph]

Great the Stooges are out

[guajiro]

Emanuel is in good standing with AIPAC and heaven forbid that they would have to acknowledge that the people via the Internet grassroots support, and Dean, along with MoveOn.org, etc, are the ones who put Obama in office and not the billions that AIPAC spends on politicians. We'll soon see.

[NotMcCain]

Oh, Emmanuel and Schumer.

Right. I forgot how petty they BOTH were toward Dean in 2006.

No credit for a job well done from them.

Who's "in" and who's "out" (Dean, Clark), is very interesting to see played out.....

[NCYvonne]

In July, Dean announced that he would not be staying for a second term at the DNC--months before Obama was elected or Rahm was chief of staff. Get your "facts" straight.

[thirtyninesteps]

I've got my facts straight, do you have yours?

In early June, after Obama had won the Dem primary, he took the unusual step of moving the DNC operations and staff to his hometown of Chicago, effectively stripping Dean of power. A month later, Dean said he would not be staying on.

Get the picture?