Tim Kaine to deliver Democratic response to Bush's State of the Union???

[Karmadillo]

We're never going to give up our quest to be more effective, more efficient Republicans are we? That McCain/Bayh fusion ticket is getter closer and closer every day.

http://www.alternet.org/story/31096/

So the Democrats have chosen Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to deliver the party's response to President Bush's State of the Union speech. Chalk up another one for the What the Hell Are They Thinking? file.

On the same day that Osama Bin Laden's chilling warnings make it Red Alert clear that Bush's obsession with Iraq has not made us safer here at home -- and, indeed, has caused us to take our eye off the real enemy -- the Dems decide that the charge against Bush shouldn't be led by someone who can forcefully articulate why the GOP is not the party that can best keep us safe, but by someone whose only claim to fame is that he carried a red state. Talk about clueless.

<edit>

Don't ask me why, but I actually watched Kaine's inaugural address on C-SPAN, and I was stunned to hear him dare compare the cause of Virginians like Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson to our cause in Iraq: "They stood here at a time, just as today, when Virginians serving freedom's cause sacrificed their lives so that democracy could prevail over tyranny."

Iraq as a war to ensure that democracy can prevail over tyranny is George Bush's talking point. God help us if it's also the talking point of the man the Democrats have chosen to respond to him after the State of the Union.

And during Kaine's run for Governor, he adopted another Bush talking point -- that it would send "a horrible message" to "cut and run" in Iraq. Could that be any further from Murtha's message that Iraq has become a civil war -- a civil war being inflamed by our continuing presence?

more...

[JanMichael]

1. Nice. How very nice of them to toss Bush a bonehead.

I've pretty much given up on expecting much more.

[bluestateguy]

2. Who cares? I haven't watched the State of the Union in years

I have other priorities: like cleaning my floor and watching a good movie.

[leveymg]

3. Thought it was going to be Murtha. Why the switch?

Who's behind this bait-and-switch?

Has the well-timed hysteria about Iran and Osama's voice from the grave changed everything that's gone wrong in Iraq?

This makes me wonder what's next in the playbook.

[zanne]

5. It makes me wonder whose side they're on. nt

[leveymg]

7. WHO made that decision?

Did Murtha back down, or was that just a rumor? Did someone at DNC change his mind? What's going on?

[bunny planet]

4. It should be Murtha or Gore. What is wrong with these people.

[terrya]

6. Should have been Russ Feingold

Whatever.

[spanone]

8. Why not Al Gore?

[chimpymustgo]

10. Kaine is LAME. Glad he won in Virginia, but it was mostly on Warner's

coattails. Kaine is not a good speaker, is not attractive - and IS conservative. Who DECIDES this stuff? Was Dean in on this decision? I am SICK of this political stupidity.

We've got Murtha, Obama, Edwards, Feingold...God, DOZENS of others who would have been better.

[acmejack]

9. Hey, we're preparing to lose another election!

Got to get ourselves whipped into prime losing form before November. You don't think these things just happen do you?

[Karmadillo]

11. I keep forgetting. Winning is for losers!

nt

[Servotron]

12. Let Howard Dean give the response!

At least that way we know there will BE a response.

[abluelady]

13. Could they have chosen Kaine

to try to set the stage for Mark Warner in '08?