Kaine Calls NRA Influence Overrated

Senator Tim Kaine charges in a Virginia Pilot editorial that the NRA's influence is over rated:

There are those who believe the National Rifle Association and its allies are so powerful that no legislation will pass. But the power of the organization's leadership is vastly overrated. I've run three statewide races in the NRA's home state. Its leadership campaigned vigorously against me each time, spending nearly $800,000 against me in my 2012 Senate race. I won all my races anyway.

The NRA leadership's track record in other statewide races is equally lackluster because poll after poll shows that Americans believe in reasonable gun safety rules. When even an overwhelming majority of NRA members supports universal background checks, it shows just how out of touch the organization's leadership has become.

There is a little more to the story.  Mr. Kaine ran against two week candidates - one for Lt. Governor (Jay Katzen who still almost pulled off a win), and  for Governor, Jerry Kilgore (who thought he could coast because Kaine was too liberal and took his bas for granted).  Kaine defeated former Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen in the last election.  Allen never really overcame the "Maccaca Moment" from 2006 and likely was an equally weak candidate.  Let's take a look at those other statewide races to wich Kaine refers:

• Allen for Governor -1993 - NRA endorsed Allen and Allen won
• Gilmore for Governor - 1997 - NRA endorsed Gilmore and Gilmore won
• Allen for U.S. Senate - 2000 - NRA endorsed Allen and Allen won
• 2001 Governor's election - NRA did not endorse
• Kilgore for Governor - 2005 - NRA endorsed Kilgore and Kaine won
• Allen for U.S. Senate - 2006 - NRA endorsed Allen and Jim Webb Won (I'd call this one a wash as Webb voted pro-rights)
• McDonnell for Governor -2009 - NRA endorsed McDonnell and McDonnell won
• Allen for Senate - 2012 - NRA endorsed Allen and Kaine won

By my count, that's 4-2 in favor of the NRA with one being a wash (Webb had an "A" rating based on his questionnaire).  And in the end, it's not the NRA's leadership that votes, but the members.  In 2012, Mitt Romney turned out less voters than John McCain did in 2008.  That likely had some impact on down ticket races like Allen. In short, their base did not turn out.

Obama Tells Congress Not To Go "Squishy" On Gun Control

Because, you know, we have to "do it for the children."  Roll Call has the story here.

“We have cried enough. We have known enough heartbreak. ... Now is the time to turn that heartbreak into something real,” Obama said.

You need to tell your senators not to go "squishy" on your rights.

It won't hurt to call Kaine just to let him know where you stand.  If we don't tell him, he won't know

Tim Kaine Thinks Word "Nullify" is "Anti-Government Rhetoric"

Mark Levin shared this nugget on his program last night courtesy of CNN where Virginia's new junior senator Tim Kaine says that Kentucky Senator Rand Paul's use of the word "nullify" in describing what should be done by congress to respond to Obama's overreach of power with executive action.


Levin said "thank God" Kaine is just a "slip and fall lawyer" after demonstrating Kaine's knowledge of the Constitution is obviously limited. Unfortunately, before taking over Jim Webb's senate seat, Kaine was teaching law classes at the University of Richmond Law School.

There was a lot to dislike about Jim Webb, but he voted for our rights the few times he had the opportunity.  Sadly he abandon gun owners and supported an anti-rights candidate like Tim Kaine to take over his seat in the U.S. Senate.  Now we have both Kaine and Warner who will support the president's call to ban modern sporting rifles.

NRA Endorsements Out for Virginia

NRA-PVF has posted the grades for Virginia's Senate and Congressional Candidates.  Not suprisingly, in the U.S. Senate Race, former Senator and Governor George Allen received the endorsement over Former Governor Tim Kaine.

In House Races, the ratings are (bold is NRA Endorsed Candidate, * indicates incumbant):

District 1

*Rob Wittman (R)  Grade: A 

  Adam Cook (D)  Grade: B 

District 2

*Scott Rigell (R)  Grade: A

  Paul Hirschbiel (D)  Grade: D 

District 3

  Dean Longo (R)  Grade: ? 

 *Bobby Scott (D)  Grade: D+ 

District 4

*Randy Forbes (R)  Grade: A   

  Ella Ward (D)  Grade: ? 

District 5

*Robert Hurt (R)  Grade: A   

 John Douglass (D)  Grade: D 

District 6

*Bob Goodlatte (R)  Grade: A 

  Andy Schmookler (D)  Grade: ? 

District 7

*Eric Cantor (R)  Grade: A+   

 E. Wayne Powell (D)  Grade: AQ 

District 8

Patrick Murray (R)  Grade: AQ 

*Jim Moran (D)  Grade: F 

District 9

*Morgan Griffith (R)  Grade: A+ 

  Anthony Flaccavento (D)  Grade: ? 

District 10

*Frank Wolf (R)  Grade: B+ 

  Kristin Cabral (D)  Grade: ? 

District 11

Chris Perkins (R)  Grade: AQ   

*Gerry Connolly (D)  Grade: F

Please contact the endorsed candidate in your congressional district to see how you can assist in the closing days of the election.

If you want to spead the word about why another four years of Barack Obama will be a diaster for our rights, click here to download a fact sheet to share with your gun club members, family, and friends.

In Virginia Senate Race, Allen, Kaine Seek Ticket Splitting Voters

Today's Washington Post has this story about how both Republican George Allen and Democrat Tim Kaine are looking for voters who my vote for the presidential candate of their opponent's party.

When Mitt Romney and George Allen campaign together this Saturday, it will be the first time the Republicans have managed to do so in Virginia this year. Timothy M. Kaine says his support for Barack Obama is unwavering, but the former governor is careful to point out differences he’s had with the president, whether on taxes, Libya or offshore drilling.

Virginia’s U.S. Senate contenders aren’t exactly running away from their parties’ presidential candidates, but they are leaving enough wiggle room to appeal to two slim but vitally important slices of the electorate: Romney-Kaine and Obama-Allen voters.

Now, I can imagine a Romeny-Kaine voter because Kaine is trying to sell himself as the fiscal conservative in the race but an Obama-Allen voter?  Allen is vocal that he is against Obamacare, against raising taxes, and regularly states that Obama has spent way too much.  Allen explains it this way:

“People for whatever reason do like President Obama, and they do think things need to be changed,” Allen said as he campaigned at a rodeo show at the Loudoun County Fair. He cited support for veterans and funding for higher education as areas where his appeal and Obama’s overlap.

So, the way to changes things is to either elect Romney while at the same time elect Kaine, who would tow the party line as soon as he gets to the Capitol just as Mark Warner has done since arriving on the Hill?  Or they want to change things by keeping the current occupant of the White House while sending a Senator Allen who would most assuredly oppose Obama initiatives or face the certain rage of the most vocal Tea Party voters who opposed his nomination in the first place?

The job of campaigns it to reach out to every voter you can to get that 50% plus 1 to win.  But after reading comments from people interviewed for the article, I can only conclude the country is in the mess it is in because of people like this.  One of the Romeny-Kaine voters interviewed think's both are "straight shooters."  Kaine can speak out of both sides of his mouth with the best of them.  And one of the Obama-Allen voter thinks the country was so far in a rut when Obama took over that he should not be penalized for the shape the economy is in.

The Choice is Clear - Support @GeorgeAllenVA

With former U.S. Senator George Allen's strong win in yesterday's GOP Primary, Virginia gun owners have a clear choice between a candidate who signed into law Virginia's Shall Issue Concealed Carry law, voted for the Lawful Commerce in Arms Act while a U.S. Senator, and who this year praised the repeal of Virginia's gun rationing law (Allen), and a candidate who tried to use taxpayer money to send supporters of the Million Mom March to Washington in 2000, who as Governor of Virginia vetoed repeal of the ban on concealed carry in restuarants like Applebees and Olive Garden, and who urged Governor McDonnell to veto repeal of gun rationing (Tim Kaine).

Now is the time for gun owners to get active.  Please contact the Allen campaign and ask how you can help Allen defeat Tim Kaine.

@TimKaine Skipping Shad Planking Today

Roll Call is reporting this morning that Democrat U.S. Senate Candidate Tim Kaine is skipping the biggest political event of the spring, the Wakefield Shad Planking, which will be held today.  For those not familiar with the Shad Planking, it is held in rural Sussex County at the Wakefield Sportsman Club and is considered the unofficial kickoff of the election year. It includes joke-filled speeches and boney fish nailed to wooden planks and smoked over hot coals, campaign staffed beer trucks serving cold golden beverage to attendees for free, and allows the thousand or so (depending on the election year) attendees a close look at the candidates.

The Wakefield Ruritan Club, the organizer of the longtime event, announced last month that former U.S. Senator and current GOP candidate George Allen would be the Keynote Speaker for this event.  It is unusual for a current candidate to keynot the event.  According to Roll Call, Kaine was also offered the opportunity to be a co-keynoter, but declined.

"Governor Kaine has already campaigned in the region, as recently as last week, and will campaign again there many times between now and Election Day," Kaine spokeswoman Brandi Hoffine said in a statement. "Tomorrow, he'll be meeting with veterans and military families in Hampton Roads and women business leaders in Chesterfield working to expand the strong coalition we've already built that will help us win in November."

Kaine also missed the event last year, which occurred just after he entered the race.  Is it possible that Kaine is following the Obama campaign strategy of ignoring working class white voters?

Virginia's U.S. Senate Candidates on Repeal of Handgun Rationing

From the NBC 4 in Washington:

Kaine, a Democrat, said in a statement:

The long-standing law strikes an appropriate balance between the 2nd amendment rights of Virginians and the public safety interests of our citizens.

Allen, a Republican and Kaine’s main competitor in the Senate race, saying at a  “Sportsmen for Allen” event:

"I'm not in favor of gun rationing," he said. "I wasn't for it when it passed, and I see no need for it."

And from RVANews:

I am very disappointed in the General Assembly’s actions toward repeal of one of Gov. Doug Wilder’s signature achievements,” said Tim Kaine, another previous governor. Kaine is now the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate.

“I strongly urge Gov. McDonnell to veto this legislation and urge all of Virginia’s leaders in Richmond to renew their commitment to a focus on jobs and the economy,” Kaine said.
McDonnell has indicated that he would sign the repeal measure.

So, there you have it, Allen, a friend to gun owners; Kaine, a typical anti-rights candidate that talks about a "balanced" approach to restricting our rights.

Virginia Premier Swing State in 2012

So declares CQ Roll Call's Daily Briefing today.

Virginia’s status as the nation’s premier swing state is underscored by the numbers in the newest Quinnipiac University Poll. It found Obama’s approval and disapproval ratings in the state at an identical 48 percent. And it showed a virtual dead heat in the state’s open seat Senate contest, with Democrat Tim Kaine at 43 percent and Republican  George Allen at 42 percent.

You can read more about the poll here.

Kaine Chooses Trusted Hands to Staff Campaign

Tim Kaine, who announced earlier this week that he would seek the Democratic nomination to run for Jim Webb's soon to be vacant U.S. Senate seat, has chosen folks he knows well to run his campaign.

This from RollCall Politics:

Some of them have experience running against former Sen. George Allen, who was defeated in 2006 and is heavily favored to win the GOP nomination and face Kaine in the general.

These trusted pols include Pete Brodnitz who will once again be Kaine’s polling director. Brodnitz has worked with Kaine since his successful 2001 lieutenant governor campaign, and he worked on the successful 2006 campaign of now Senator Jim Webb that upset then Senator George Allen.  David Eichenbaum and Karl Stuble will be be Kaine's media consultants.  They worked on both of Kaine’s previous statewide campaigns.  Mo Elleithee is back as a Senior Advisor to Kaine.  Elleithee served as communications director for Kaine in 2005 and press secretary for Senator Mark Warner’s 2001 gubernatorial campaign.  Elleithee also ran the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s independent expenditure effort against Allen in 2006.

Kaine will be a formidable candidate and he has assembled a campaign team that will give him an opportunity to win.  He has never lost an election, but unlike 2005, he now has an extensive record - first as governor and also as head of the DNC, pushing some of the most unpopular policies of President Obama. 

Anti-gun Kaine Formally Announces Campaign for Senate

The Richmond Times Dispatch reports this afternoon that former Governor Tim Kaine has officially announced his entry into Virginia’s 2012 U.S. Senate race.

The Democratic National Committee chairman and former governor tweeted “I’m running!” and included to a link to a video in which he makes it official.

Kaine had said for weeks that he would rather not seek elected office, say that “being a legislator is not the best way for me to serve others right now.”

President Obama met with Kaine and urged him to seek the seat, though (as Obama seems to do a lot) he said it was not his decision to make.  Kaine will likely have no opposition for the nomination which means he can begin raising money now and saving it for the general election.

Kaine is no friend to gun owners.  While he signed some legislation supported by gun owners when he was governor, he twice vetoed legislation to allow carrying concealed handguns in restaurants like Applebees and Olive Garden that serve alcohol in addition to food.  He also vetoed legislation that would have allowed a person who may lawfully possess a firearm to carry a handgun in a private motor vehicle or boat if the handgun is locked in a container or compartment.  Both pieces of legislation were signed into law by Governor McDonnell last year.

Kaine also vetoed legislation that would have allowed active duty service members of the United States Armed Forces or the Virginia National Guard to purchase more than one handgun within a 30-day period, legislation that would have required localities operating compensated confiscation schemes (so-called gun buy-backs) to sell by public auction, or sealed bids, to a person licensed as a dealer, any firearms acquired through the schemes.
 
Finally, Kaine vetoed legislation that made it clear that the training required to apply for a concealed handgun permit could be completed online or other electronic format.  Fortunately, the House and Senate overrode that veto.  

On the Republican side, former Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen must get by tea party activist and former Allen staff member Jamie Radtke and Hampton Roads attorney David McCormick with several other other conservatives circling in the water.  Those include Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and Delegate Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William.  Most observers believe that if Allen has more than one opponent for the Republican nomination, that the anti-Allen vote will be split and he will win the nomination.  Allen's pro-rights credentials are impeccable and he would be a reliable ally of gun owners and sportsmen.

You can watch Kaine's announcement below.

He's Tanned, He's Rested, But is Kaine Ready to Run for Senate?

Roll Call Politics reports that Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine just returned from vacation and this weekend will return to the part of the Commonwealth where he first announced he would run for Governor.  Kaine will attend a tribute dinner for ex-Rep. Rick Boucher in Southwest Virginia, who was upset in last year's election by now-Rep. Morgan Griffith.  Some of the state Democratic party elite believe that Kaine will throw his hat in the ring.

Former state party Chairman Dick Cranwell of Roanoke said he believes Kaine will run. He said ex-Sen. George Allen, who is likely to win the Republican party nod despite facing a primary challenge, should not expect an easy race. Cranwell and others believe President Barack Obama, a close friend of Kaine’s who will attempt to win Virginia’s 13 electoral college votes a second time in 2012, would boost the Democratic candidate on the ticket, and vice versa.

“Tim understands how important it is for the president to carry Virginia in this next go around, and he helps with that for sure,” Cranwell said.

Others closely associated with Kaine also think he will run.  Kaine’s father-in-law, one-time Republican Governor turned Democrat, Linwood Holton, has been urging him to run and Virginia's junior Senator Mark Warner has mounted a more public pressure campaign, telling Virginia Democrats at their annual Jefferson Jackson Day dinner last month that he wants his friend to join him in Washington, D.C.

All of this focus on Kaine underscores the fact that Democrats believe he may be their only candidate with the opportunity to hold on the the seat currently held by Jim Webb.

But this is sure, no matter who is the nominee of either party, the fate of the senate race will closely tract the outcome of the presidential race in Virginia.

Public Policy Polling Finds Allen and Kaine Tied

As if to put more pressure on former Democratic Governor Tim Kain to run for Jim Webb's open seat in 2012, Democratic leaning Public Policy Polling (PPP) has released the results of a poll featuring possible matchups between George Allen and several challengers. Kaine fares best with a 47-47 tie with Allen. 

Kaine is slightly more popular than Allen, sporting a 46/38 favorability spread to Allen's 39/40. Both benefit from a pretty unified party base, with 87% of Republicans going toward Allen and 86% of Democrats to Kaine. Allen is able to earn the tie despite the fact that there are likely to be more Democratic than Republican voters in a Presidential year electorate because independents lean toward him by a 50/41 margin.

PPP also ran match-ups between Allen and former congressmen Tom Perriello and Rick Boucher. Both lose to Allen according to the poll but PPP surmises that may be due to lack of name recognition.  Most people presume that Allen will be the GOP nominee but he already has one challenger for the nomination, Tea Party leader and former Allen staffer Jamie Radtke.  There is also talk that Delegate Bob Marshall and Prince William County Board of Supervisor Chairman Corey Stewart may jump in.  The conventional wisdom is though that the anti-Allen votes on the right will be spilt between multiple candidates and Allen will win the primary.  If however Radtke ends up being the only candidate in the race, anything can happen as we saw when Webb upset Allen in 2006.

Hat tip to Roll Call Politics.

Jim Geraghty On Tim Kaine's Indecision on Webb's Senate Seat

Knowing this:

Kaine spoke by phone with President Barack Obama last week about a potential Senate bid in Virginia. And the President told television station WWBT in Richmond, Virginia that he thinks Kaine "would be a great senator from Virginia if he chose to do that."

The conventional wisdom is that the White House is pressuring Kaine to run to keep the seat in party hands, but a source with knowledge of the situation tells CNN that the White House is giving Kaine space on this decision and that there's "no arm twisting at any level."

Jim is probably correct:

Obama's made his sales pitch, and Kaine is still undecided. I think we can conclude that if he really wanted to run, he would have announced by now.

I've written before that Kaine genuinely likes Richmond.  The fact that he is not jumping up and down to run tells me that he does not have the "fire-in-the-belly" for this one.

Kaine First Choice of Virgina Democrats to Replace Webb

Former anti-gun Democrat Governor Tim Kaine still hasn't made up his mind, but if attendees, or those who spoke from afar, at this past weekend's Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner had their way, Tim Kaine would be running.  Or at least those that Roll Call Politics caught up with at the event.

There was nothing subtle about the speeches from the podium Saturday night as Democrat after Democrat made the case for Kaine. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) did not mince words in a recorded video message to the party, "It is my hope that my friend of 30 years ... Tim Kaine decides to run for the seat."

"I hope Tim Kaine will do it. He gets first dibs," state Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple said.

State Sen. Donald McEachin summed it up: "Everyone is waiting on Tim."

Folks who know Kaine believe he really does not want to run, but with the state Democratic bench being filled with only those who have lost an election or primary in the last two years, Kaine is the only one who can say he has not lost recently.   Kaine can also count on a strong Obama effort to once again try and carry the Commonwealth in 2012.  But, Kaine also knows that the party that wins Virginia in the presidential race will likely be the same party that wins the senate race.  Does he really want to give up a year and a half to campaign for himself when he can spend it campaigning around the nation?

Could Tim Kaine Be Convinced to Run for Webb's Seat

The Hill has more on Webb's decision not to run for reelection.

Part of the reason Republicans are favored to win is that Democrats don’t have a strong candidate — at least not yet.

The leading choice is Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tim Kaine, a popular former governor of Virginia.

Kaine has said both privately and publicly that he’s not interested in running for the Senate, but party leaders will launch a heavy lobbying effort to get him into the race.

For all of Kaine's faults (not just as they relate to his anti-rights record) he is a family man and he genuinely likes Richmond.  His children attend city schools, and his wife has ties to the city that go back to when her father, Linwood Holton, was Governor.  In the end, Kaine may be able to be convinced to put party ahead of his personal interests, but if bets were placed, odds would probably favor he has no appetite for Washington and prefers his more quiet existence in Richmond.

Kaine Wins Three Out of Five Vetos

What was shaping up to be a good day for gun owners turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment thanks to the State Senate. Governor Kaine was able to pick up enough votes to sustain vetoes on three of the five bills he vetoed.

Vetoes overridden:

SB877 would allow "retired" law enforcement officers to carry concealed in a restaurant that serves food and alcohol. Unlike SB1035, this bill applies only to retired law enforcement officers and does not prohibit them from consuming alcohol.

SB1528 states that the safety course required for obtaining a concealed handgun permit, conducted by a state-certified or NRA-certified firearms instructor can be done electronically or online.

Vetoes sustained:

HB1851 would exempt active duty military personnel or Virginia National Guardsmen from Virginia’s handgun rationing (“one-handgun-a-month”) law. The House overrode the veto but the Senate fell short one vote - 26-14. This was probably the biggest surprise of the day as this passed the Senate 31-18.

HB2528 would establish that no locality or entity may participate in a compensated gun confiscation (“buyback”) program, where individuals are given anything of value or money in exchange for surrendering a firearm to the locality, unless the governing body first passes an ordinance authorizing the gun “buyback.” The House overrode the veto but the Senate fell three votes short at 24-16.

SB1035 would permit a Right-to-Carry permit holder to carry concealed in a restaurant like Applebees, Olive Garden or any other restaurant that serves food and alcohol, provided he or she does not consume alcohol. The Senate vote fell short 24-16.

Today shows the importance of having a pro-rights governor. VSSA will be working hard to help elect such an individual during this year's election. Gun owners will be critical to this effort. More to come on this later.

Senate Overrides Veto of SB 1528

Governor Kaine is not doing so well today. Only one of his vetoes has survived in the House of origin - Senate Bill 1035 - the restaurant ban repeal. The remaining four, SB 877, SB 1528, HB 1851 and HB 2528 are all now in the other house for consideration. The House has to vote on SB 877 and SB 1528. Those bills just left the Senate so action should come in the House within the hour. The Senate is now taking up the House bills with Governor's amendments. After they complete these bills they will take up the vetoes.

Senate Sustains Veto of SB 1035

The State Senate on a vote of 24-16 sustained Governor Kaine's veto of SB 1035 - the bill repealing the ban on carrying concealed handguns in restaurants that serve alcohol in addition to food.

Disappointing but not unexpected.

Senate Overrides Veto of SB 877

Senate Bill 877 - the bill allowing retired law enforcement to carry concealed handguns in restaurants like Applebees, Olive Garden, or other restaurants that serve food and alcohol.

The bill now moves to the House for a vote to override the veto.