At UVa, governor promotes unity

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine took a piece of chalk and drew three interlocking circles on the blackboard at the front of the American Politics 101 class taught by University of Virginia professor Larry J. Sabato.
Finding common ground is possible with any political issue, whether it is transportation, mental health reform or the expansion of pre-kindergarten education, Kaine told the UVa students.
Politics works best, he said, when leaders govern from the overlapping sections of the Venn diagram. Finding these intersections, he said, benefits both sides of a political debate.
“Politics has been too much about trying to beat the other side up,” Kaine said, speaking Monday before an estimated 250 students. “You can win elections that way, but you can’t run a country that way.”
Kaine was visiting Sabato’s class for the fourth time. The class’ other recent guest speakers have included U.S. Sen. John W. Warner, R-Alexandria, and presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.
Kaine updated the students on a long list of political developments in Richmond.
In the coming days, he said, the General Assembly will consider a $2.3 billion higher education bond package that includes money to renovate UVa’s New Cabell Hall and to build a new information technology engineering facility at the university. If approved, it will go before voters in November.
Lawmakers will return to Richmond in mid-June for a special session on transportation, he said. Though the legislature approved a transportation package last year, much of it was subsequently struck down in court. “Transportation is critical to our economic future and it’s critical to our way of life,” he said.
Kaine said that education is his “top priority” and told the class that he successfully secured $22 million for public early childhood education programs. Over the next two years, he said, the funding will increase the number of children in the programs from 12,000 to 15,000.
When asked about tough anti-illegal immigration measures in Prince William County, Kaine said he worries that such Draconian measures can send a message to the rest of the world that Virginia is not open to people who want to work and grow the state’s economy.
“We cannot send off a big message that Virginia is not welcoming,” he said. “If we do, I think we’ll find in a couple years that it was a big mistake.”
Kaine, an opponent of the death penalty, was also asked his opinion about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld lethal injection as a method of execution. Kaine had placed a moratorium on the death penalty in Virginia while the justices were considering the matter, but has since lifted the order. Though he believes that the death penalty is “wrong and not necessary,” he said, he swore to uphold the law.
Two students asked Kaine about his opinion on legalizing or decriminalizing illegal drugs. Kaine replied that he has not been told by any health professional that medical marijuana ought to be a health care priority. And while he acknowledged that sentencing for drug offenders can sometimes be too harsh, he added that as mayor of Richmond he saw the ravaging effects that drugs can have on a community.
Kaine spoke at length about his support of the presidential bid of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois. “He has an excellence of character, judgment and motivation and a coolness of character that is incredibly important in a president,” he said. “I feel that he will be an agent for change at a time when we need one. And I believe that he can be a unifier at a time when we need it.”
Two students challenged Kaine’s support of Obama. One asked how Kaine, who is personally opposed to abortion, could support the pro-choice Obama. Another wanted to know if Kaine supported Obama’s “radical” views.
Kaine said he agrees with Obama on the vast majority of issues, though he disagrees with Obama’s “tone on trade policy.” Regarding abortion, Kaine said that both he and Obama want to reduce the number of abortions in the United States.
At the end of Kaine’s visit, he urged the politics students to stay engaged and perhaps run for office one day.
“Be interested,” he said. “Be engaged. And you will find it to be incredible challenging, but also incredibly satisfying.”