It was perhaps his most important campaign promise and maybe the one that resonated the most. Senator-Elect Tim Kaine vowed from the time he announced his intention to run for the U.S. Senate that he wanted to find ways to compromise.
After defeating former Senator George Allen, Kaine is now just a few months away from making good on that promise. Given his emphasis on compromise, it was no surprise that Kaine focused quite a bit on that topic in his post-election press conference.
Here is my story for NBC12:
RICHMOND (WWBT)- One of the big winners in last night's election was former governor and now Senator-Elect Tim Kaine. Kaine is ready to head to Washington and forge something that hasn't been seen much in that town as of late compromise.
Dressed casually and with a voice a touch hoarse after more than a year on the campaign trail, Tim Kaine told reporters he is ready to go work.
"The thing we most need to in both houses of congress is really commit to compromise and working together," he said.
Kaine, who edged out former Senator George Allen, in part because of that bi-partisan message, said with issues like the looming fiscal cliff and sequestration battles ahead, compromise is needed now more than ever.
It is something he was able to do as governor.
"We disagreed plenty,” Kaine said of his dealings with republicans in the Virginia General Assembly. “But we maintained the relationship and the friendship that if we disagreed about something today we could find something to agree about tomorrow."
Virginia's newest senator enters a body facing historic levels of dysfunction. It is an atmosphere that despite last night's election, is not that much different.
The man who started his career as a Richmond City Councilman is hopeful a few new faces can have a positive impact.
“There is nothing that magic about it,” he said. “We just need to add more voices to that common ground caucus that is what it is going to take."
Kaine is hoping to join that group of senators looking to work with the other party, but his new partner Mark Warner may be getting out.
read and see the full of the story on NBC12.com
Our report can be seen below:
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