Just about every establishment Democrat in Virginia is urging former Gov. Tim Kaine to run for the Senate seat being vacated by incumbent Jim Webb. According to this report, the Democrats’ Jefferson-Jackson Dinner was a veritable love-in for Kaine, with attendees chanting his name and urging him to get in the race.  But there are a few big issues that might keep Kaine on the sidelines…not the least of which is explaining to Virginians why, in the final budget he submitted as Governor, he wanted to reinstate the hated car tax.

Let’s go back to December 2009. Mr. Kaine is in the waning days of his administration. One of his last acts, as it has been with governors before him, it to propose a new budget for the commonwealth. Times are tough. State revenues are in decline and the budget is at least $3.5 million in the red. What’s a person to do?