The spirit of the season, peace on Earth and holiday happiness have eluded those running in Virginia’s open U.S. Senate race, which remains hot enough to melt ice. There’s been no letup in the raucous back and forth between Republican George Allen and Democrat Tim Kaine that began in earnest earlier this month when the two squared off in their first debate nearly a year before next November’s election.
Last week’s congressional fight over extending a payroll tax cut was the latest national issue that became a political hot potato between the two former governors, who are vying for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Jim Webb. The dispute allowed both sides to toss grenades.
Kaine joined President Obama in urging House Republicans to pass the Senate’s two-month extension of the payroll tax holiday, continuing a trend of unflappable support for his close ally while questioning Allen’s lack of support for his would-be GOP colleagues.
“I am puzzled by George Allen’s unwillingness to publicly support an extension of the payroll tax cut,” Kaine said last week, imploring Congress to seek a yearlong extension as well.
Allen’s campaign shot back that he would vote for a payroll tax extension, but “these stop-gap measures in Washington that consistently bring us to the brink only to punt decisions to the next few months result in a harmful lack of certainty and predictability,” spokesman Bill Riggs said.
For his part, Allen has continued his assault on Kaine’s energy policies and his ties to Obama. The payroll tax deal included a Republican-backed provision that requires Obama to make a decision on the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas early next year. Previously the Democratic president deferred the decision until after November’s election, a move Kaine backed.
“Tim Kaine’s silence as President Obama plays politics with this job-creating initiative shows once again that he would rather follow President Obama’s lead,” Allen said in a statement supporting the pipeline. Kaine’s staff said Friday he supported the Senate bill, which included the Keystone provision.
The exchange was Allen’s latest attempt to tie Kaine to Obama, whose popularity among Virginians has ebbed since he won the state in 2008. Other national issues, such as Obama’s health care reform and House Republican attempts to pass a balanced budget amendment, have also been focal points of Allen’s campaign.
For Kaine, the recent squabble continued a trend of post-debate comments insisting Allen is out of touch with Virginians.
This for a race that won’t officially begin until after primary elections name Allen and Kaine the nominees.
