Outgoing Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine defended his budget proposal on Tuesday and took a surprise call from President Obama during his final appearance on WTOP’s “Ask the Governor” program.
The president, introduced as “Barry from D.C.,” initially startled Kaine, who is chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Obama commended Kaine for his service as governor and commiserated with him on the relative merits of their wives.
“We continue to think that your wife is probably a little superior to you, as I think people feel about the first lady, but you and me have to stick together since we’re married to better people,” Obama said.
The talk later turned serious, when Kaine defended his recently announced biennial budget proposal. Kaine’s plan would replace an annual car tax subsidy to local governments with a 1 percent surcharge in the statewide income tax. Republicans, though, panned the potential tax increase.
“It is bad economic policy to increase taxes on Virginians, especially as they continue to struggle with the worst economy in generations,” said Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell after Kaine rolled out the proposal last week.
Kaine, though, pushed his plan on Tuesday. He said he told the state legislature that if it passed the budget, Virginia would remain the best state for business in the country. Forbes Magazine bestowed the accolade on the state in September.
“Now, if they’re not willing to make hard decisions and they want to … try gimmicks or other things, well that’s up to them — I can’t control what happens after I leave,” he said. “They’re going to gripe and complain because hey, it’s a tough time, but they’ve [got to] make tough decisions.”
Linwood Holton, a former Virginia governor and Kaine’s father-in-law, commended Kaine for the plan when he called in to the program. Holton, a Republican, also took an apparent swipe at McDonnell’s pledge not to raise taxes to deal with Virginia’s budget and transportation woes.
“[I] don’t mean to be vindictive about it, but it’s a bad situation when you preclude your options before you take office,” Holton said.
