Kaine looks at economic solutions

Tim Kaine has been a CEO for much of his adult life, running a law firm, and serving as mayor of Richmond and as Virginia’s governor from 2006 to 2010.

But if the Democrat is successful in winning a U.S. Senate seat in November, he thinks he can adjust to being one of 100 senators by focusing on some key initiatives.

Chief among those would be developing America’s young talent and supporting workforce opportunities and other options for veterans, a cause that has been championed by Virginia’s senior U.S. senator, Democrat Jim Webb, who is retiring.

Specifically, if elected, Kaine would push for a committee assignment on Veterans Affairs or another panel that’s defense-related.

During an interview Friday at The News Virginian, the likely Democratic nominee said it is important for the United States to increase the post-secondary education attainment of its young people.

He noted that the country has fallen to 16th in the world in that measurement.

Kaine said if America can train its young minds with the right educational opportunities and provide appropriate research and development, “the economy will be strong.”

He sees a role for the federal government in setting K-12 education policy, but he does not support micromanaging education or handing down unfunded mandates to the states.

The dictates of No Child Left Behind have been a major criticism of the federal education law.

“The federal government should be about setting rigorous standards,” said Kaine, who added that a strong curriculum approach would help the country compete in the global economy.

Kaine met with a variety of business leaders in Winchester on Friday and with Blacksburg business leaders Friday night. He is to meet today with business leaders in Roanoke and Staunton.

One issue that arose during Kaine’s Friday meeting in Winchester was that some businesses need to hire employees but have found it difficult to find qualified applicants. 

Kaine’s likely opponent in November is Republican George Allen, a former Virginia governor and U.S. senator.

The two sparred over the federal debt during an early December debate in Richmond.

Each traded accusations about responsibility for the debt. Allen tied Kaine to President Barack Obama’s deficit spending, while Kaine pointed to Allen’s votes to increase federal spending when he served as senator.

Kaine said he has shown the ability to make difficult fiscal decisions, including cutting $5 billion from Virginia’s budget when he was governor.

He cited Allen’s increase in spending as Virginia governor in the early and mid-1990s.

“I have a record of making hard decisions that is relevant to the future,” Kaine said.

He said the 2012 U.S. Senate election will be about what needs to be fixed in America.

The Allen campaign, on the other hand, said Kaine’s record as governor is not as successful as he claims it was and speaks of his support of Obama policies.

“Tim Kaine’s record of tough decisions includes pushing for over $4 billion in tax hikes as Virginians, lost more than 100,000 jobs and serving as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, where he championed every major failed policy coming out of Washington in the last three years,” Allen spokesman Bill Riggs said late Friday. “The families and businesses of Virginia are living under Chairman Kaine’s vision for the future — 35 consecutive months of unemployment above 8 percent, an explosion of government spending that added $4.4 trillion to the national debt and counterproductive energy policies that destroy jobs and drive up costs.”

Despite those words from his likely GOP opponent, Kaine said that he was able to work with Republicans while Virginia’s governor, and that he could do the same with Republican senators in Washington. He offered as an example bipartisan work that helped gain passage of a smoking ban in Virginia restaurants.

And though their debate in Richmond last month was spirited, Kaine and Allen share a regard for one another, the former said.

“I know George, and I like him,” Kaine said. “We have done a number of things together over the years.”

Future debates, however, are unlikely until after primary elections in June, when party nominations for the seat will be settled.