Kaine announces third-quarter fundraising
The Tim Kaine Senate campaign announced today that it received $1.3 million in donations during the third quarter.
In the six months since he declared his candidacy on April 5, 2011, over 8,500 unique donors have contributed to Tim Kaine’s Senate campaign. The campaign has raised approximately $3.55 million year-to-date and has approximately $2.55 million cash on hand.
Earlier this week, Kaine’s expected November 2012 Republican opponent, George Allen, announced that his campaign had raised more than $900,000 in the third quarter of 2010.
“As Governor Kaine takes his positive message on job creation, fiscal responsibility and economic growth through investments in our infrastructure and our workforce across the Commonwealth, Virginians are responding and showing their support. We are thrilled that so many people have joined our campaign and look forward to building on that grassroots momentum to elect great leaders in 2011 and send Tim Kaine to the U.S. Senate in 2012,” Kaine spokesperson Brandi Hoffine said in a statement.
Kaine holds forum on future of Social Security
Tim Kaine held a forum this morning with Virginia seniors at Imperial Plaza of Richmond to discuss his continued commitment to protecting Social Security. During the discussion he explained the structure and purpose of Social Security, his position on the future of the program, and explained why Republican criticisms and proposed changes would be bad for beneficiaries and the economy. Below are key quotes from this morning’s discussion:
On the impact of Social Security benefits on the economy and employment:
“(Social security benefits are) absolutely critical to the economy because Social Security payments don’t just go into seniors’ bank accounts. Seniors spend them on groceries, seniors spend them on clothing, seniors spend them on other goods and services that help the economy do well. If you start to make big cuts in Social Security, then money isn’t spent in the economy, then you’re not only going to hurt seniors but you’re hurting the economy. So there are a whole lot of cuts that, if you need to make cuts, you should make first before you even think about touching anything in Social Security.”
On efforts to demonize and privatize the program:
“There are certainly a number of candidates right now who support, in some way, significant revision of the program. And Governor Perry of Texas is the most notable. He’s the one who has used the “Ponzi scheme” phrase over and over again but there are others as well. In my Senate race, when Senator Allen was Senator from 2000-2006, he voted to privatize Social Security. There is a will to do the same thing right now among Republicans. It’s a pretty good bet that once somebody has shown how they will vote on an issue, they’ll vote that same way when it comes up again.”
On the history and importance of the program:
“There are two great things about Social Security. First, it lifted seniors out of poverty, and that was its goal. But the second thing I think is great about Social Security is that it established this principle of ‘the compact.’ I like that notion of ‘we have an obligation to each other.’ And so the privatization proposals, I don’t like those because first, the stock market is too crazy and people’s money would be wiped out. But also, I don’t like them because that is a different philosophy. It’s not ‘we have an obligation to take care of one another,’ it’s ‘everybody for themselves.’ Shared obligations, shared commitment, a sense of responsibility for the seniors who raised us, that’s a good thing in America.”
Senate candidates react to debt-ceiling compromise
Congress has reached an apparent compromise on a measure that will raise the federal debt ceiling, likely averting a fiscal crisis that had been feared if the U.S. government would have risked defaulting on its loan obligations.
The reactions of the three top candidates for the U.S. Senate seat representing Virginia up for grabs in the 2012 elections are telling as to how deep the divide is among the two leading political parties.
“While far from perfect, the current approach before Congress maintains economic stability by raising the debt ceiling and enacts important spending cuts that will help preserve our nation’s and Virginia’s credit rating. This is the beginning of a much longer process as we work to rebuild our economy,” Democrat Tim Kaine said.
“After months of pushing our economy to the brink, Washington has yet again failed to deliver a long-term solution to our debt crisis,” said Republican frontrunner George Allen. “This 11th hour deal fails to address the country’s serious fiscal problems, has no concrete Balanced Budget Amendment, and punts the tough decisions to yet another commission while adding nearly a trillion dollars more to our nation’s debt as they deliberate. ”
“I am both angered and dismayed by the total lack of leadership and courage this deal represents. Last week I warned that our biggest mistake would be falling for what I called the Debt Deal Sugar Rush. As I feared, our leaders could not resist, and they struck a deal that provides a temporary and deceptive feeling of relief,” said Tea Party leader Jamie Radtke, a candidate for the Republican nomination.
Radtke pushed a Tea Party talking point – the idea that a balanced budget amendment is needed to “put America back on strong financial footing.” “You can’t vote for a solution that doesn’t solve the problem, especially when it will result in making things worse for Americans,” Radtke said.
Allen, playing to the right flank, also talked up a balanced budget amendment, as he also worked in GOP boilerplate about “job-killing tax increases” that he says are on the horizon.
“Senate Democrats will use this new commission to continue their push for job-killing tax increases as the answer to our country’s problems. And if they fail to reach an agreement, significant cuts will be made to defense spending, risking our troop’s safety and seriously threatening Virginia jobs. Meanwhile, American job opportunities are diminishing, our economy is on a downward spiral, and Americans are paying high fuel prices that are hurting already strained family budgets,” Allen said.
Kaine, parroting President Barack Obama, is the one of the three using the word “bipartisan” without meaning to imply anything in the area of epithet.
“By establishing a joint committee with representation from both parties that is empowered to make additional cuts as well as raise new revenue, Congress has said that they also want a bipartisan and balanced result. And, I sincerely hope that negotiating without the specter of default or economic collapse will result in less partisan maneuvering and grandstanding and more pragmatic solutions,” Kaine said.
“I’m disappointed that my Republican opponents joined the Tea Party in choosing default over bipartisan compromise. As the next U.S. Senator from Virginia, my commitment will be to always put the best interest of the Commonwealth and the nation over politics, as many Members of Congress have done by standing behind this flawed but necessary agreement,” Kaine said.
Kaine: ‘It’s time this Congress took its responsibility seriously’
Tim Kaine issued the following statement in response to ongoing gridlock over debt ceiling negotiations and new reports that Virginia is increasingly vulnerable to a credit downgrade as a result of the stalemate in Washington:
“For months, Congress has engaged in irresponsible political maneuvering by using the debt ceiling deadline and our economic stability as bargaining chips. Thanks to Washington’s political games, we are just four days away from reaching our legal debt limit and entering a state of default for the first time in our nation’s history. And still, even as the clock winds down, Republicans in Congress continue to press for a plan that is not sufficient to protect our nation’s credit rating and ignores the need for a bipartisan bill that can pass both the House and Senate. The time for political games is over. The gridlock must end. Compromise is not an option, it’s the only option.
“Last week, we learned that credit rating agency Moody’s placed Virginia’s triple-A rating on Creditwatch. Now we learn that Moody’s has also placed all triple-A rated Northern Virginia localities — including Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties as well as the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Herndon and Vienna — on Creditwatch. Though no fault of their own, the Commonwealth and these localities are in jeopardy of a credit downgrade because of the uncertainty of the finances of the federal government. A downgrade would have severe financial ramifications, forcing local communities to cut back on building new roads and schools and investing in other projects that create jobs. A downgrade would also force Virginia and local governments to spend millions more a year in interest payments for no reason other than Congressional intransigence.
“As Governor, I worked hard to successfully protect Virginia’s credit rating through the worst economic times in 70 years. And now, to see Virginia’s credit rating as well as the country’s at risk thanks to nothing more than the unwillingness of some members of Congress to reach a compromise is deeply troubling. Failing to raise the debt ceiling or merely passing an inadequate plan that would not protect our credit rating, risks a national state of economic emergency that would be felt by every family and business in America. A ratings downgrade would place a tax on virtually every American through higher interest payments on their loans and credit card debt. The United States Constitution charges Congress with paying our national debts and providing for the common defense and general welfare of our citizens. Prior Congresses have done so for over 200 years. It’s time this Congress took its responsibility seriously.”
Poll: Kaine has slight lead in Senate race
A new Public Policy Polling survey of Virginia voters gives Tim Kaine a slight lead over George Allen in their megawatt race for the U.S. Senate.
The PPP poll has Kaine, a Democrat, ahead of Republican Allen by a 46 percent-to-43 percent margin.
The two former governors are the presumptive frontrunners for their respective parties’ nominations for the Senate seat to be contested in 2012.
Inside the numbers, Kaine maintains a slight edge among independent voters, at 44 percent support to 43 percent among independents for Allen. Further inside the numbers, Allen has a favorability gap among independents that he will need to overcome if he is to have a good shot at winning in November 2012. Just 20 percent of independent voters have a favorable opinion of Allen, with 47 percent holding a negative opinion.
Kaine’s corresponding numbers are 43 percent favorable and 38 percent unfavorable.
The situation for Kaine improved as Barack Obama’s lead over his potential Republican opponents in Virginia narrowed a bit. Obama still leads his closest GOP rival, Mitt Romney, by four points, at 47 percent to 43 percent, but that’s down from an 11-point bulge (51 percent to 40 percent) over Romney in Virginia in May.
Obama leads Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Texas Gov. Rick Perry by nine points each (49 percent to 40 percent over Bachmann, 48 percent to 39 percent over Perry) and 14 points over former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
“Even as Barack Obama’s numbers in the state have worsened over the last 3 months, the state of the Senate race has remained the same,” said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling. “This is a contest that seems likely to stay tight all the way to Election Day regardless of changes in the political winds.”
Kaine, Allen talk debt ceiling
George Allen sees the debt-ceiling issue as “leverage” for Republicans heading into the 2012 elections. Tim Kaine has raised issue with Allen on that stance, and on Friday Kaine offered a statement of support for Senate Democrats for their 51-46 party-line vote rejecting the so-called “Cut, Cap and Balance” plan that passed the Republican House earlier this week.
“I applaud the Senate’s rejection of the Republicans ‘All Cuts, No Balance’ legislation,” said Kaine, a Democrat and former governor and presumptive Democratic Party nominee to run for Virginia’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2012.
Allen, also a former governor, is the frontrunner for the Republican Senate nomination in 2012. Allen has offered consistent support for GOP efforts at brinksmanship on the debt-ceiling issue. President Obama and congressional Democratic Party leaders have raised the spectre of the federal government going into default if the debt limit isn’t raised by an Aug. 2 deadline.
Economists have suggested that the absence of a congressional agreement on raising the debt ceiling could also have disastrous effects on the U.S. economy.
“In 11 days, our country will reach its legal debt limit and, absent action in Washington, we will face drastic and lasting economic consequences. It’s time for Washington to put aside ideology-driven legislation like the “All Cuts, No Balance” proposal and do what is right for our nation: raise the debt ceiling to allow government to pay our bills and work toward a balanced approach to reducing spending and reducing the deficit,” Kaine said.
Mark Warner: A bipartisan center forms in the U.S. Senate
Posted by afp on October 4, 2011 · 2 Comments
As our country’s $14.7 trillion national debt grows by more than $5 billion each day, and as a divided and dysfunctional Congress seemingly punts on responsible solutions to many of our toughest problems, is it any wonder that close to 9-in-10 Americans in a recent opinion poll said they strongly disapprove of the partisan gridlock they see in Washington?
At the beginning of August, Virginians witnessed an especially ugly and embarrassing political fight over raising the nation’s debt limit. The deal ultimately reached by Congress cut nearly $1 trillion in federal spending in the current budget, and created a bipartisan commission of six senators and six representatives to identify by Thanksgiving an additional $1.2 – $1.5 trillion in savings over the next decade.
I am hopeful this new commission will succeed, despite my belief that even $1.5 trillion in additional debt reduction is not nearly enough to truly begin fixing our nation’s finances. That’s why I have encouraged the 12 members of the Joint Select Committee to build upon the solid work and recommendations already proposed by several other bipartisan groups, including the Senate’s so-called Gang of Six, which I was proud to have formed earlier this year with my Republican colleague, Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia.
Every independent, bipartisan analysis, including the Gang of Six, has concluded it will require at least $4 trillion in debt reduction to begin responsibly tackling our fiscal challenges. Every independent and bipartisan analysis also has concluded it will require a balanced approach that includes a blend of spending cuts, tax reform that eliminates some deductions while lowering overall tax rates, and phasing-in rational reforms to entitlement programs to protect and strengthen programs like Medicare and Social Security over the long-term.
We have a second chance to do the right thing with the creation of this Joint Select Committee, but we will never be successful unless we finally break out of our partisan trenches and agree to work together.
That’s why Sen. Chambliss and I in recent weeks have been reaching out to our Senate colleagues, on both sides of the political aisle, in a bipartisan effort to broaden and expand our Gang of Six. And I can tell you that the response from our colleagues has been remarkable.
On Sept. 15, more than one-third of the 100 members of the United States Senate stood with us to encourage the members of the Joint Select Committee to go beyond their mandate and reach for more than just $2.2 trillion in debt reduction.
In fact, 39 Senators in all – 20 Republicans, 18 Democrats and one independent – have now joined us to issue a strong, bipartisan appeal for the so-called super committee to “go big.” It was an impressive demonstration of bipartisan support and encouragement for their efforts.
“We know that this debt is choking this country. We feel it is time to check our political hats at the door,” Sen. Chambliss said.
“We’re with you,” said Senate Budget Chairman and North Dakota Democrat Kent Conrad. “Be brave. Be bold. Go big.”
“Let’s set expectations much higher than where they are,” echoed New Hampshire Republican Kelly Ayotte. ”Show some courage. We will be with you.”
“If you take a look at this picture of the gathered senators, it’s exactly the opposite of what the American people think is going on here on Capitol Hill,” said Illinois Democrat Richard Durbin. “What we’re trying to tell you is there is a real honest conversation taking place between Democrats and Republicans on tackling the biggest financial challenge this country has ever faced.”
This bipartisan statement by more than one-third of the members of the U.S. Senate may have been summed-up best by Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski:
“If you don’t leave here today feeling a little more confident that this Congress, or at least this Senate, can act together, not for the good of our respective parties but for the good of the American people, then I would suggest you didn’t pay close enough attention to those who are gathered here today.”
So yes, Virginia, I can tell you there is such a thing as a “radical bipartisan center,” and I am very proud to be one of its founding members.
Mark Warner is a United States Senator.
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