As Tim Kaine’s 2012 Senate campaign apparatus grinds into gear, money is sure to play a big part, and the campaign is going to be taking it from lobbyists and political action committees – which, as the Post notes, would mark a bit of a departure from the former Virginia governor’s tenure as chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
After he won the Democratic nomination in 2008, Obama extended that ban to include the DNC. Kaine inherited the rules when he became chairman of the committee in 2009, and he bragged about the DNC’s ability to keep the money coming in despite the restrictions.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee sent out an email Monday blasting Kaine for “reversing himself” on the issue — though with potential opponent George Allen’s already-sizable war chest, one can see why the (other) former governor may not want to count on $25 checks from individual voters to get him across the finish line.
UPDATE: Brandi Hoffine, a spokeswoman for Kaine’s campaign released the following statement: “As a candidate, Governor Kaine has always welcomed lawful donations from anyone who shares his vision for progress for Virginia and the nation. No donors get special treatment and none are second class citizens. Though we expect to be out-raised and out-spent by the other side in this race, just as we were in the 2005 race, we’ve put in place a plan that will provide our campaign with the necessary resources to mobilize our grasssroots network of supporters and take our message of fiscal responsibility, job creation and balance and civility across the commonwealth. We feel good about our progress toward that goal so far.”
