Kaine and Allen leave lasting impression in third debate

Rarely do you leave a debate wondering what the long term impact might be. Usually you get a pretty good impression right away. But today's NBC4/Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce U.S. Senate debate was a tangle between two Virginia political titans that will take some time to see how it plays out.

(Moderator David Gregory with Tim Kaine and George Allen)

Tim Kaine and George Allen sparred on defense cuts, the economy, issues born out of the presidential race and their own careers in Washington and Richmond. However in a debate that was on TV, but only in the Washington, D.C. metro and in the middle of the day, it is the coverage of the event that will have the lasting impression and Tim Kaine had a moment in the debate that republicans are already promising to bring up from here on out.

It was a discussion on tax policy, based on GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's comments about 47% of Americans who don't pay federal income tax. Moderator David Gregory pressed Kaine on his personal views of who should pay income taxes.

Here is a transcript of the exchange:

(Moderator David) GREGORY: Do you believe that everyone in Virginia should pay something in federal income tax?

KAINE: Well, everyone pays taxes, I mean, the statistics that have come out..

GREGORY: I'm asking about federal income taxes.

KAINE: I would be open to a proposal that would have some minimum tax level for everyone.

Kaine went on to layout the specifics of his tax policy. Later in the post debate gaggle he explained what he meant. He said he wasn't calling for a minimum across the board tax level, but instead showing that he was open to any possible suggestions for improving tax policy.

Here are his full remarks from the gaggle. (I apologize for our unfortunate camera position)

 

Later Kaine senior adviser Mo Elleithee defended his bosses his position in a lengthy blog post.  Saying in his opening line that the Kaine team was "pumped" about his performance.

Not surprisingly, republicans aren't impressed. They quickly posted the debate moment online and fired off a fundraising e-mail based on Kaine's comments.

Allen came to the post debate gaggle prepared to double down on Kaine's comments which play right into the GOP's claim that Kaine is a tax raiser:

 

It is doubtful that this relatively minor slip by Kaine will alter the course of this race dramatically. However, recent polls showed the direction of the race was heading in the democrat's favor. This slip will offer Allen's team more fodder on the tax issue, an issue republican's generally focus on and could swing undecided voters. A pool that in this race in particular is smaller and smaller.

Here is my full wrap on the debate for NBC12:

It doesn't get any bigger than this. Virginia's race for the U.S. senate is one of the most watched in the country.

 Thursday, two commonwealth political titans, George Allen and Tim Kaine, met in their first televised debate. The race was on TV, but only in the Washington, D.C. metro area and in the middle of the day, so the vast majority of likely voters didn't see what happened.

Instead they will be left with the lingering sound bites, and Tim Kaine gave one that republicans are already pouncing on.

It was a debate filled with plenty of substance. Allen and Kaine giving their take on things like defense cuts.

"He (Allen) is on more sides of this than a Rubix Cube," said Kaine while discussing Allen’s position on the congressional showdown over the sequestration budget.

On foreign policy, Allen was critical of the Obama administration and talked tough on the situation in the Middle East.

"The biggest threat I think is Iran,” Allen said. “If Iran gets nuclear weapons that needs to be prevented."

But it was a comment Kaine made on taxes inside that Capital One building in McLean that Allen was quick to pounce on afterward. Here is an exact transcript:

(Moderator David) GREGORY: Do you believe that everyone in Virginia should pay something in federal income tax?

KAINE: Well, everyone pays taxes, I mean, the statistics that have come out..

GREGORY: I'm asking about federal income taxes.

KAINE: I would be open to a proposal that would have some minimum tax level for everyone.

Kaine made the point after a lengthy discussion born out of Mitt Romney's comments about 47 percent of Americans not paying federal income tax. Allen wasn't surprised.

"It is typical of Tim Kaine,” Allen said.  “As I mentioned his record is one of always looking to raise taxes."

Kaine argued that he wasn't calling for a minimum across the board tax, but rather showing that he is open to any suggestions.

"I don't think it should be that newsworthy that a Senator would consider what a colleague proposes," Kaine said with a chuckle.

A characteristic the democrat believes is lacking in his opponent.

"We need more bridge builders,” Kaine said during the debate. “We need more people who know how to listen and find common ground."

read and see the rest of the story on NBC12.com

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Comments

[Angel]

Actually, Howard Dean is the current DNC chair. McCauliffe hasn't been the chair for srvaeel years now. McCauliffe raised lots of money but failed to fix the DNC -- he was pretty much a failure.Although I'm sure he'll claim Howard Dean's accomplishments as his own.