VA Legislature to DNC Big: Keep the Stimulus Money

Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA) was dealt an embarrassing blow by the state legislature:

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia’s Republican-run House of Delegates rejected a proposed expansion of unemployment benefits Wednesday, along with $125 million in federal stimulus cash to pay for it.

On a mostly party-line 46-53 vote, the House turned down amendments by Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine that were necessary to make Virginia eligible for the federal aid.

The vote mirrored a debate raging in state capitols across the nation over whether to accept the federal stimulus cash to cushion soaring unemployment rates in the worst economy since the Great Depression.

Republican governors in several states, including Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alaska and Texas, say they will reject at least part of the cash because of mandates by a Democratic Congress and President Barack Obama to broaden state unemployment insurance programs.

Kaine was Obama's number one choice to lead the Democrat National Committee and was supposed to be a rising star in the party. It's a bit embarrassing for the party that the DNC head can't convince his own state to accept the money.

States are realizing what accepting the money means just as the heads of big banks are. They will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Obama, Inc. and want no part of that.

This may well show that Kaine is beatable come the next election and that would be a serious slap to Obama.