In a preview of what is to come in the U.S. Senate race in Virginia in 2012, the campaign for Democrat Tim Kaine directly targeted Republican candidate George Allen Tuesday, calling the former senator out for recent remarks he made regarding the federal debt ceiling.
Allen told Fox Business’s Neil Cavuto that conservatives should not vote for a debt ceiling increase without “real cuts,” prompting Kaine advisor Mo Elleithee to issue the following statement:
“Senator Allen’s comments are curious. If he believes that the debt ceiling should be tied to spending cuts, then why did he vote in the Senate to raise the debt ceiling four times while increasing the debt by more than $3 trillion? Perhaps the guy who helped create the problem is not the best person to give advice on how to fix it.”
Until now, Kaine has largely focused his attention on touting his bona fides as a Virginia politician, but the move Tuesday could signal a shift in strategy to directly go after Allen, who still faces a crowded field to win the Republican nomination.
Meanwhile, the Allen campaign hit back, chiding Kaine for his support of federal spending programs during his time as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
“It is not a surprise that Tim Kaine – one of the Democrats’ leading advocates for the $800 billion jobless stimulus, bailouts and government run health care – is questioning if Washington needs spending cuts,” said Allen spokeswoman Katie Wright. “Rather than defend the status quo of out-of-control spending and record deficits, Tim Kaine should come to the table with real solutions to help solve our fiscal crisis. Any vote on the debt ceiling needs to be paired with a vote on a balanced budget amendment and iron clad spending.”
Kaine has said that not raising the debt ceiling could have drastic consequences for the economy, adding that “it is imperative that Democrats and Republicans set aside their partisan differences and commit to long-term deficit reductions.”
