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Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Virginia Governor Tim Kaine has a Harvard Law School degree, has twice won statewide office, and is fluent in Spanish. It’s a recent line on his resume that may become an issue as President-elect Barack Obama’s choice to head the Democratic Party.
Kaine, 50, is the chairman of the Southern Governors’ Association, a group that raises money from tobacco, oil, energy and pharmaceutical companies in exchange for access to governors and other state officials.
The donors include more than 60 associations, trade groups and companies, including tobacco giants Altria Group Inc. and Lorillard Tobacco Company, Pfizer Inc. and Exxon Mobil Corp. Participants in the group’s Corporate Affiliates Program also include mortgage lender Freddie Mac, which was taken over by the federal government last year, and General Motors Corp., which is among automakers being rescued by the government.
Kaine’s continuing involvement with the SGA as Democratic National Committee chief may raise questions for Obama, who targeted special interests during his campaign, vowing to end their “days of setting the agenda in Washington.”
“If Tim Kaine is going to be the head of the DNC, given Obama’s rhetoric in the past, Mr. Kaine will have to either change the rules of the SGA or step down as chairman, because the policies of the SGA appear inconsistent with Obama’s,” Melanie Sloan, executive director of the Washington-based watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
“Money paid to the SGA so you could have a seat with Tim Kaine would also get you a seat with the head of the DNC,” Sloan said.
Kaine’s press secretary, Gordon Hickey, said the governor plans to retain the SGA chairmanship and there’s no “move afoot to change any of the rules.” His term as governor expires next year, and he began his one-year term as SGA chairman in August.
Tommy Vietor, an Obama transition spokesman, declined to comment.
On its Web site, the association pledges corporate interests will get “special opportunities to interact with governors and their key staff.” The group’s Corporate Affiliates Program gives donors varying amounts of access --including guarantees of private sessions -- to the governors and their staff depending on how much they pay. The group won’t disclose the cost of the membership levels.
The SGA’s Web site says the group “supports the work of Southern governors by providing a bipartisan, regional forum to help shape and implement national policy and solve regional problems.”
More at Bloomberg.com
The fact that there was no oversight, stipulations on how the funds were used, is another indication of what the republicans stand for. Big business, screw middle class America. Thank God it is about to end. That is if we can get the "right" to, for once, put country before party.
http://thesebastards.blogspot.com/
Apparently not.
Do I hear taxpayer gripes? Get back to work you fucking peons.
Are top Senate dems split on seating Burris? Harry says no while the AP reports other dems appear to say yes. Is Harry losing his grip on power?
Bush lied again. This time to Obama and family.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9l1RIeKa3o&eurl...
That's how you break a bad habit.
Just had my credit card interest rates jacked up 4%. Where is all this money going?
Unfuckingbelievable - the balls of some of these people...
If the country, and its economy are still standing in fine fashion in 2060, then we can say we've survived him.
In the meantime the hole situation could melt down. An unrelenting economic melt down could mean that the union could be dissolved as soon as 2012.