PHILADELPHIA — Hillary Clinton’s choice of Sen. Tim Kaine, Va., to serve as her running mate may add to the friction expected at next week’s Democratic National Committee that takes place here beginning on Monday.
A liberal group ripped into Kaine moments after his name was announced.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee criticized Kaine for voting in favor of a trade promotion bill that helps the president fast-track trade bills, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a deal with Pacific Rim nations that many liberals and some Republicans oppose.
“As we saw in Donald Trump’s speech last night, Republicans will run hard against Democrats on trade this year,” the group said in a statement Friday. “Unfortunately, since Tim Kaine voted to fast track the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Republicans now have a new opening to attack Democrats on this economic populist issue.”
The group said that voters are seeking populist candidates. Kaine is a moderate who says he has moral objections to abortion but does not believe government should limit the procedure.
Liberals rallied around Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed socialist. But he has dropped out of the race and said he backs Clinton. Sanders will speak at the convention this week, likely on the same night as Kaine.
“The center of gravity in the Democratic Party has shifted in a bold, populist, progressive direction, regardless of who is selected by Hillary Clinton as Vice President,” the group statement said. “It’s now more important than ever that Hillary Clinton run an aggressive campaign on core economic ideas like expanding Social Security, debt-free college, Wall Street reform, and yes, stopping the TPP. It’s the best way to unite the Democratic Party, and stop Republicans from winning over swing voters on bread-and-butter issues.”
