Monday, January 5, 2009
President-elect Barack Obama has chosen Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine to head up the Democratic National Committee. It’s a curious choice to say the least.
While many Obamaholics predictably went ga-ga over the selection, Gov. Kaine’s positions on a number of important issues make him, in my view, one of the worst choices to head up the DNC.
On Abortion:
Tim Kaine has a faith-based opposition to abortion and promised to promote and support abstinence-focused education and adoption.
On Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions:
Kaine opposes both same-sex marriage and civil unions. Kaine also supported and signed into law the Virginia state ban on gay marriage.
Kaine does not want to see taxpayer money used for embryonic stem cell research and opposes stem cell research in his homestate of Virginia.
I have to wonder? Has Obama already started consulting Rick Warren for his approval before he makes appointment decisions? If so, we’re in for a very, very long 4 years.
From the Left 
Wonderful. This obama thing just keeps getting worse.
Good thing I don’t support the dems.
Christopher – I’m so grateful to you for staying on top of Obama and his shitty judgment calls. So many people have drunk the koolaid and think Obama is walking on water that they are unable to look at him rationally.
Wait a minute.
So Tim Kaine is replacing Howard Dean and Tim Kaine is opposed to gay marriage rights, abortion and stem cell research?
Why isn’t Kaine the chairman of the RNC then? This is simply not acceptable. Obama is out of his bloody gourd.
Wonderful choice, Barry!
An antigay, anti-choice, anti-science winger pretending to be a Democrat gets tagged to be the leader of the DNC.
We’re phucked, my friends. We’re phucked.
Tim Kaine was on Obama’s short list for vice president. I thought he was an odd choice then and I am adamantly opposed to him being the top man at the DNC.
Is Obama trying to reshape the DNC to mirror the RNC?
I think I’m gonna THROW UP!
All I have to hear is “faith based” and it’s a no-brainer–this person is bad news. Is Obama turning out to be a Bush in sheep’s clothing?
Ugh.
I don’t know where he’s going with this one…the DNC platform includes pro-choice and other progressive stances – how can the leader of that platform have stated opposition to these things? Sigh….I have to admit this is one of those “actions” that doesn’t make me feel too good about Obama right now. An invocation is one thing. A DNC Chair is another.
“Oh, fuck me gently with a chainsaw”
— Heather Chandler
Regards,
Tengrain
Tengrain, please, chill on the chainsaw. We need your cajones intact to get us through the next four years. I fear it will be an Effexor X-R four years.
This is disturbing.
Americans of good conscience may well be faced with a tough decision come 2012 and then a really tough decision.
The front runners for RNC chair are psychos who are going to make you yearn for the mellow days of Haley Barbour: Steele (Maryland) is loco. The guy from Kansas was the one who made up the “Magic Negro” rhyme. The guy from South Carolina’s goal is to “cleanse” the Republican Party of Ron Paul.
So, Obama’s going to continue to scoop up disaffected White christianists until the Democrats have some crazy numbers. If the economy is still bad, and three wars including in Israel/Gaza going in 2012, Obama will be challenged by his left and a guy like Wyden, Feingold or Whitehouse could beat him.
If they lose close, you could well see a 3rd party with progressives, libertarians, and far-right Republicans forming it.
I just voted for “FROM THE LEFT”! Keep up the great work, Christopher.
Typically, once a party gets all the power they inevitably start tearing down their own structure setting up future losses. I just didn’t think it would be this fast. How can progressives and liberals rally around this guy?
What the hell?
Totally agree with you and the others for whom Tim Kaine heading the DNC is an appalling disappointment. Though I supported Obama long before Iowa and did vote against McCain/for Biden in the November election, Obama lost me last summer when it was reported that Kaine was being seriously considered for VP. Though Kaine didn’t get this important, tone-setting position a heartbeat away from the presidency, this served as a wake up call for me regarding Obama, bringing me back down to earth about him with blinders off and eyes wide open.
Obama having even more strongly anti-choice rights Bob Casey speak on Hillary’s night and the octogenarian anniversary of women securing the right to vote in a convention where I noticed all but the brave Al Gore skirting the issue of abortion choice rights, sealed the deal of me being disillusioned by Obama ((even though Obama’s selection of Biden (for whom I’ve long had a soft spot) for VP had initially brought me back a bit)).
More of Obama’s choices throughout the general election campaign and even moreso since he won the presidency (Rick Warren to speak at the inauguration for example) have made me watch and see about him. Evenso, I remain idealistic about the progressive hope that first attracted me to the Obama campaign and the rest of you who share it. Now, I’m just skeptical that Obama is going to play the role in this movement I thought he would and he’s got to do a lot to win back my trust.
That said, it just may be that after being a life long democrat it’s now time for me to call myself independent. I doubt I’ll be able to get on board with a democratic party in which Kaine and what he stands take the lead.
Goes against beliefs held in my core. Frankly, I don’t think Obama really knows what he’s doing by appeasing evangelical fundamentalists, even the more moderate ones, in an attempt to be bipartisan. Feels like a slippery slope to me and I’ll do all in my power to prevent the decline and continue the expansion of democracy and civil rights and strengthen the separation of church and state.
For now, I’m trying to take comfort in the historic milestone of the first African-American president and his family being in the white house, which has got to be a big, progressive seismic shift for America on some important level, and the knowledge that I’m not alone in my concerns.
Not the hope and change I was signing up for. However, it’s probably better than the Republican alternative and obviously the best America could do this time around.
To hope and change continuing nonetheless!
You know, GW, I disagree that BO is better than Republicans. At least with Republicans, I knew who my enemies were/are. Obama wined and dined and then, once he got our vote, sold us out.
He dismissed the legitimate anger and hurt of the LGBT community (over the Warren pick), proclaimed a “fierce” support for LGBTs (with not a single shred of evidence to back that up), and now has chosen Tim Kaine, a Repub in Dem clothing to replace Howard Dean (a devoted friend of the LGBT community).
Bush never promised us X and gave us the finger. He gave us the finger to start with. Barry waited til he got our vote.