'nother good thread, LG.
What's his position on the war?
Now, and, in 2002?
I do NOT believe that the GOP is going to be able to keep the shitmire on the back burner. Too many Iraqi's, of all stripes, know that they've got junior AND McCain's nads in a bench vise.
If Kaine was a supporter of the war, and stated that in no uncertain terms, back in the day, then for me, that moves him off the list.
Sorry, but with nearly 100 days to go, I just don't believe that what Iraq has already, and still is, costing us, is going to be a small enough issue to afford Obama the chance to pick someone who was disagreeing with him in the run-up, and especially not, now that mission-fucked-up, with that $3 bil a week whizzing down the urinial, is revealed in all it's glory, if he was recently disagreeing with him.
The GOP will eat him alive, if that's true. Not as bad as if, in the purest insanity, Obama picked Hillary, and the repubs INSTANTLY cranked up that clip of her praising McCain and dissing Obama...but still bad.
Just what Obama needs at this point -- to distance himself from pro-choice and pro-GLBT voters, selecting a conservative Democratic VP (seeing as how he himself is already right of center on many issues) especially after FISA.
What is it about Democratic candidates that makes them want to spit on their base and destrou the momentum before an election whenever they run? It has to be some kind of DNC voodoo about winning those elusive "centrist independent" voters.
I'm not happy with this choice at all. But then I haven't been happy with Obama for a while now. I lost my excitement a few months ago. Guess I'm not needed anymore anyway, since I'm a gay member of the radical netroots....
I'm quite happy to see Kaine as Governor of Virginia, but regard him as a terrible choice for VP.
Better it be Sibelius, if Barack wants to tap a governor.
A bad, bad, choice. An awful choice. A choice that tells me that he is listening to the DLC consultants and "running to the right". Which means he doesn't give a shit what we think because he, like so many Democrats before him, is assuming we have noplace else to go. And the damnedest thing is, he's right.
Kaine is the worst choice he could make. Frankly, I'd rather see Hillary. Of the three short-list names mentioned (Kaine, Bayh, Biden), I'd rather see Biden.
And what does THAT say?
Jill, not a choice yet. Just speculation. We will have to wait and see.
But I think the reason they float ideas like this is to gauge reaction. And I am sure staff and others read the internet to get some idea of what people think.
Who would you pick, littlest?
Not trying to be snarky, or mean, just curious.
Perhaps all of the editors here could write something about who they would choose (if they haven't done so by now). I'm sure it would be interesting and informative.
All three choices there are uninspiring. What is he thinking? Any one of those three don't say "change" to me. They say pandering, and old school for biden.
I'm for him picking Caroline Kennedy over those three.
Cupcake could work up a good rant on Kaine as a choice.
No.
All of the above.
But what's the context of this "mandatory vaccinations" issue? What I think of is the measles outbreak some weeks ago in a Waldorf School in the East Bay, which made a bunch of kids sick, shut down the school for a while, and presented a real danger of spreading further. It existed because anti-vacciantion hysteria is widespread (especially in place where crackpots thrive, like Waldorf Schools) to a great enough extent that "herd immunity" is in danger.
Fortunately, there are still plenty of vaccinated people, so containing this ourbreak wasn't too hard. And measles isn't as bad as polio, which broke loose in Nigeria where the local imams discovered that vaccination was a plot to make Africans sterile, and got as far as Indonesia at one point. But measles is still a bad thing to have epidemics of, and they are 100% preventable, and I really really don't like it when children are harmed in ways that are 100% preventable.
Anyway, that's my knee-jerk on vaccination; but the specific issue here may be something else entirely. If his position is something worse than being effectively against epidemics, I'd like to hear about more.
Another reference regarding vaccinations from Bad Astronomy.
The vacination law he supported that is law now in Virginia is for HVP, Mandatory for all 6th grade girls.
I hear what you are saying about the measels thing. But the way it has worked in the past is that governments can strongly pressure people to get their kids vaccinated, usually by denying them acess to public school unless they have x health check and x y z vaccinations.
Of course the crazies at any private or homeschooling situation can avoid it, though MOST private schools try to follow state and local health requirements.
But here is why I don't like MANDATORY vaccination... Big Pharma and gov. deciding that you have no choice what shots you need for yourself and your kids. It is a slippery slope. And I think making it illegal to refuse a medical treatment is a bad premise.
You can make it pretty darn uncomfortable by making rules at work and schools. But to force someone and make it illegal not to comply seems like a step that we just should not be taking right now. Especially with the strength of pfizer etc.
here's his non-position-position on the war.
http://www.ontheissues.org/
Gover...War_+_Peace.htm
Jesus flippin' Christ! You people worry about "mandatory vacinations" but pine for "universal healthcare"!!!!!???? Do ANY of you have just the most miniscule amount of foresight to see the problem here? WAKE THE FUCK UP.
GWC you can be such a blowhard.
I LIVE in a country with, wait for it...
Universal Healthcare and NO mandatory Vaccinations.
All I can think of is that, for the many years I've been sitting in the bleachers with my popcorn watching the prez election circus, so many times the candidate has contrived to make his veep selection somebody unexpected.
It shakes things up. It gets attention. And while it's not a binding rule, it's a precedent. Obama's veep pick may be from what's now considered the short list, but if his pick is a total surprise, don't be surprised.
The vacination law he supported that is law now in Virginia is for HVP, Mandatory for all 6th grade girls.
'gator - This is bullshit right here. There's not enough known about the effectiveness of this "vaccine". There's too many "maybe, might, may cause/prevent" and probably very obscure types and ........ its just wrong to mandate anything of the sort for young girls. This is wrong. I don't think there's enough long term data on this one.
btw - great post. Lots of red flags on Kaine.
another reason obama should pass on kaine... summed up well here
http://www.needlenose.com/wp/200...-of-vp-vetting/
oh and then there is this--
Why Virginia Progressives Turned Against Kaine by: Matt Stoller
http://www.openleft.com/showDiar...do? diaryId=7218
oops, bad link, try this one
http://www.openleft.com/showDiar...do?
diaryId=7218
Ouch. This could be the one decision Obama ends up regretting, if he goes through with the pick.
Thanks for the clarification. I wasn't thinking of this case, which plainly doesn't qualify as a herd-immunity issue of public health. I haven't really made up my mind about how bad it is, but but it's not good -- and not justified by the fact that that vaccine has all the right enemies. Stopped clock, and all that.
kaine?
nope, the name alone is an invitation to mutiny.
great post, tlg. I'll echo Michelle and say I'm sure glad it's not my decision!
Tim Kaine must be a republican since he wears a red tie.
With lines that write themselves such as, Tim Kaine to bring the pain. I think he will be a bad idea for the ticket. I still think that that it should be either Sebelius or Clarke
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