Kaine's travel questioned, criticized

Where have you been and are your political trips costing taxpayers money?

Those questions are being asked by Virginia Republican Party officials who allege that Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's work as chairman of the Democratic National Committee is interfering with his job as the state's chief executive.

To get those answers, GOP officials have filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the governor's office (a copy of the letter is below).

Republicans have also posted an online video that uses video clips to document some of Kaine's recent political trips, which have included visits to North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Illinois and a trip this week to Kansas City.

"The stealth travel by the governor of Virginia just isn't acceptable when Virginians are hurting the way we are economically," state GOP chairman Pat Mullins said during a conference call today.

Kaine's press office releases a weekly public schedule of the governor's travels in Virginia, but his political trips typically aren't listed in that digest.

Mullins cited the state's revenue woes, pockets of high unemployment in some southwest Virginia communities, and recent questions about the management of the state computer network by a private contractor as some of the pressing issues that Kaine should focus on instead of working on behalf of Democratic causes. 

Republicans are also raising questions about the travel and lodging costs for members of the Virginia State Police assigned to the Executive Protection Unit who safeguard Kaine wherever he goes.

Kaine was named DNC chairman earlier this year.

That type of promotion is not unprecedented in Virginia history -- in 2001, former Gov. Jim Gilmore was named Republican National Committee chairman during his final year in office.

When he accepted the DNC job, Kaine said that his work as a national political partisan would be largely limited to weekends and off-hours.

His staff insists he has kept that pledge and been an effective executive.

"The governor has steered Virginia through the toughest economic crisis in the country since the 1930s," said Kaine spokeswoman Lynda Tran. "The bottom line is there's always going to be critics, but the overwhelming majority of Virginians appreciate the governor's positive, results-oriented leadership even in these tough times."

As evidence, Kaine's staff points to a recent poll that show the governor with a 62 percent job approval rating.

Kaine's poitical travels, the governor's office noted, are done on his personal time and not at state government expense.

"Frankly, even the governor gets to have a little fun on the weekend," Tran said, alluding to some of Kaine's fundraising trips highlighted in the Republican video.

-- Julian Walker

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