Kaine Gets Aggressive
It didn't take long.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine today launched a rebuttal to last week's television ad campaign by the Republican Governors Association. The GOP ad had accused Kaine of presiding over homeowner tax increases while mayor of Richmond. The new Kaine ad, which is running in Northern Virginia, Richmond, Roanoke, Norfolk and southwest Virginia, calls those charges "misleading."
The ad says, "an outside political group is running misleading ads attacking Tim Kaine" and it reiterates Kaine's claim that he cut taxes. "Kaine cut property tax rates, cut utility taxes and cut small business taxes."
Kaine has said from the beginning of his campaign that he will not make the mistake John Kerry did last year in not responding quickly and forcefully to ads run on behalf of George Bush. Campaign aides say this latest ad is a prime example. You can view the Kaine ad here.
You can view the RGA's ad here.
By Michael Shear |
May 23, 2005; 1:17 PM ET
| Category:
Tim Kaine
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Posted by: Omar | May 23, 2005 03:03 PM
The Republicans have made lying an artform. Everything they seem to say about their opponnents is usually a lie. George Bush needs to grow up and start fighting the political battles as a man and not like a spoiled brat that he has been acting through out his time in the whitehouse
Posted by: John | May 23, 2005 04:30 PM
Its funny that the republicans are talking about taxes. Was it not George Bush's father that totally lied to the nation when he said "read me lips - no new taxes" and once elected, proceeded to raise taxes!!!
Posted by: Dugh | May 23, 2005 04:32 PM
The republicans have been lying about EVERYTHING from the reasons behind Iraqi invasion to the attack on Tim Kaine. I would not be surprised if the republicans, George Bush included, staged 9-11 attacks to give them an excuse to go to war.
Posted by: Joel | May 23, 2005 04:34 PM
Taxes went up during Kaine's term as mayor--his campaign confirmed it. The truth hurts.
Posted by: Jim | May 23, 2005 10:49 PM
I am SO weary of people using the word "lying" in politics, no lie!
Posted by: Scott | May 24, 2005 10:10 AM
I've met Tim-he is an interseting and dynamic person. With unfunded Federal mandates, the state must pick up the tab. Why is it that Republicans think that money grows on trees. No wonder the feds can't balance a budget but Virginia can under Tims' efforts with Gov Warner
Posted by: Carl | May 24, 2005 03:05 PM
To Jim in the comments: Even Ronald Reagan raised taxes. 13 times, if memory serves. But they disguised it by calling it "revenue enhancements".
Posted by: Carl | May 24, 2005 03:09 PM
It's not just that other politicians have raised taxes -- it's that Kaine never raised taxes! Property taxes only "went up" in Richmond because home values went up, same reason they are now. That ad is outrageously false and at the very least incredibly misleading.
Posted by: Lucy | May 25, 2005 03:48 PM
Then why did Tim Kaine call it a "back door tax increase"?
http://www.honestleadershipforvirginia.com/home_files/TaxReform.htm
Posted by: Jim | May 28, 2005 06:56 PM
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It's good that Kaine is rebutting these charges so forcefully. Kerry made a mistake by not responding agressively to the "SwiftBoat Veterans" campaign.