"Allen punted and pivoted…it was a glaring moment..." -Politico
"The Republican was less confident on women’s matters" -Suffolk News Herald
“…with George Allen appealing only to Republicans, Tim Kaine may have the edge." -WSET
"Kaine once again knocked Allen for increasing spending during his time as governor and ballooning the federal deficit while in the Senate..." - The Hill
"Mr. Kaine repeatedly pressed Mr. Allen for more specifics on questions about women’s health and looming defense cuts..." - Washington Times
"Kaine consistently touted his work across the aisle…" -Politico
“…Kaine painted Allen as fiscally irresponsible and uncompromising…” -Richmond Times Dispatch
“Kaine said lawmakers in both parties will have to compromise to achieve meaningful deficit reduction." -Roanoke Times
“Mr. Kaine described Congress as an “ankle weight” on the economy — and that electing Mr. Allen would only make it worse." -Washington Times
"Allen backing higher retirement age and Kaine promising to protect Social Security ‘to my last breath.’ ” -Associated Press
“Kaine pointing out that Allen voted several times to raise his own pay..." -NBC12
Richmond, VA - During last night’s Senate debate, George Allen struggled to defend his record in the Senate and justify his reelection. On topics ranging from women’s issues, fiscal responsibility, Social Security, and corrosive partisanship, Tim Kaine held Allen accountable for his words and actions while in the Senate and on the campaign trail.
Where Allen ducked and dodged on women’s issues, Kaine showed he understood that women’s issues are really family and economic issues. Where Allen offered ample criticism but no workable solutions to the looming sequestration cuts, Kaine laid out a commonsense, three-part plan to mitigate the devastating cuts which could cost Virginia jobs. Where George Allen struggled to reconcile his small government, fiscally conservative rhetoric with his big spending Senate record, Tim Kaine shared his own record of fiscal responsibility, making more than $5 billion in spending cuts as governor, including his own pay. And where George Allen offered no defense of his career-long record of partisanship, Kaine outlined his career-long record of bringing people together to get results, a skill badly needed in Washington.
Below is some of the coverage of last night’s debate:
ALLEN "PUNTED AND PIVOTED" ON ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO VIRGINIA WOMEN
“When asked about proposals in the GOP-led General Assembly’s this year to require an ultrasound before women could get an abortion and to codify that life begins at conception — so-called “personhood” legislation — Allen punted and pivoted…it was a glaring moment during the hour-long Richmond face-off that encapsulated Allen’s difficulty in making inroads with females. Kaine dubbed the legislature’s attempts a “vivid and horrifying spectacle last year” and made clear Allen wasn’t comfortable addressing the issue.” [Politico, 10/8/12]
“Allen said his support of personhood legislation — which would define life as beginning at conception…” [Washington Post, 10/8/12]
“…Mr. Kaine repeatedly pressed Mr. Allen for more specifics on questions about women’s health and looming defense cuts…” [Washington Times, 10/8/12]
“Republican George Allen is well aware he needs to close the gender gap with women in order to win the Virginia Senate race. The severity of that challenge was on full display Monday night in his fourth debate with Democrat Tim Kaine.” [Politico, 10/8/12]
"Allen has crafted an ad campaign targeted at females, but recent polls in the race have actually shown the gender gap widening." [Politico, 10/8/12]
“The Republican was less confident on women’s matters…Kaine said he has a ‘significant difference’ with Allen on the topic, raising the battles over reproductive issues fought in the state Capitol earlier this year. ‘You can’t have a strong economy for women if you take their rights away,’ he said.” [Suffolk News Herald, 10/8/12]
“ ‘You can’t have a strong economy for women if you take their choices away,’ Kaine said, adding that he supported paycheck equity for women and opposed ‘personhood’ state legislation and a bill that would have required women to get an ultrasound before abortions.” [Washington Post, 10/8/12]
“Allen, who supports a federal personhood bill…” [Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, 10/8/12]
"Kaine “also hammered home that Allen touted support for a “personhood” amendment on his campaign website, warning that it “could jeopardize FDA-approved birth control.” “You can’t empower women in the economy if you take away their choices,” Kaine said. The exchange was one of the starkest of the evening in a race that has recently tilted slightly towards Kaine over the last two weeks." [Politico, 10/8/12]
“ ‘I support paycheck equity for women in the Lily Ledbetter [Fair] Pay Act. George Allen has refused to support them,’ he said. ‘I support Family Medical Leave Act for women caring for their loved ones. George Allen repeatedly voted against it. And I stand against ultrasound legislation, personhood legislation and efforts to take away women’s rights to receive contraception at their workplaces. George Allen and I are in very different places on this … you can’t have a strong economy for women if you take their choices away.’ [Washington Times, 10/8/12]
“Allen later said he would support a ‘Personhood’ bill…” [Cavalier Daily, 10/8/12]
“In contrast, Kaine stated, ‘I will protect women's right to make their own healthcare decisions, cause you can't empower women in the economy if you take away their choices.’ ” [NBC29, 10/8/12]
“Kaine also sharply criticized the General Assembly for passing a law requiring women to submit to an ultrasound procedure before an abortion. He also voiced opposition to a proposed law that would grant “personhood” status to fertilized eggs, saying it could restrict access to contraception. ‘You can’t empower women in this economy if you take away their choices,’ Kaine said. Allen called the ultrasound legislation a state issue. He has voiced support for a personhood law…”[Roanoke Times, 10/9/12]
“Kaine noted Allen's support for a ‘personhood’ bill that would outlaw virtually all abortions by extending the full legal protections of living, breathing individuals to a fetus from the instant of conception.” [Associated Press, 10/9/12]
KAINE HELD ALLEN ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS "FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE AND UNCOMPROMISING" RECORD
“Kaine once again knocked Allen for increasing spending during his time as governor and ballooning the federal deficit while in the Senate, saying he ‘broke both sides of the balance sheet’ while in Congress by cutting taxes and raising spending without paying for either.” [The Hill, 10/8/12]
“…Kaine painted Allen as fiscally irresponsible and uncompromising…” [Richmond Times Dispatch, 10/9/12]
“The two clashed on a host of topics, most notably fiscal issues, with Kaine hitting early and often on Allen’s record in the U.S. Senate. ‘When George Allen went into the Senate…we actually had a surplus,’ Kaine said. ‘But he broke both sides of the balance sheet. He dramatically slashed taxes, and he jacked up spending $16,000 of debt every second that he served for six years.’ ” [Richmond Times Dispatch, 10/9/12]
“Kaine said that while in the Senate, Allen “broke both sides of the balance sheet.’ ” [Suffolk News Herald, 10/8/12]
“Both candidates came out on the attack, with Kaine challenging Allen on fiscal issues…” [Roanoke Times, 10/9/12]
“Kaine shot back that Allen was part of a Republican-ruled Senate in league with George W. Bush's Republican White House that inherited budgets running a surplus from President Bill Clinton and turned it into record deficits. ‘We have a balance sheet that is broken. When George Allen went into the Senate, it was fixed. We had a surplus. But he broke both sides of the balance sheet. He dramatically slashed taxes and he jacked up spending $16,000 every second that he served for six years,’ Kaine said.” [Associated Press, 10/9/12]
“Kaine pointing out that Allen voted several times to raise his own pay when in the Senate. ‘He was repeatedly voting to raise his own pay as if that somehow merited a pay increase.’ ” [NBC 12, 10/8/12]
“Kaine panned Allen’s record as a senator, saying the Republican had a role in turning a federal budget surplus into a deficit. ‘We have a balance sheet that’s broken,’ Kaine said. ‘When George Allen went into the Senate it was fixed. But he broke both sides of the balance sheet.’ ” [Roanoke Times, 10/9/12]
“Allen said the federal health care overhaul will drain more than $700 billion from Medicare over 10 years. However, the Medicare savings would come from reduced payments to providers and insurance companies rather than benefits, and the savings would be used to cover other health care services such as preventive care for seniors.” [Roanoke Times, 10/9/12]
“Asked directly by debate moderator Bob Holsworth whether he would support the House-approved budget authored by Budget Committee Chairman and GOP vice-presidential running mate Paul Ryan, Allen sidestepped into a rant against Affordable Care Act…” [Associated Press, 10/9/12]
KAINE CRITICIZED ALLEN’S RISKY PLANS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE
“Kaine noted Allen's support during his previous Senate term, from 2001 to 2007, for unsuccessful legislation to privatize Social Security. ‘That would have been a huge catastrophe prior to the (2008) collapse of Wall Street,’ Kaine said. ‘If I am in the U.S. Senate, I will fight efforts to privatize Social Security to my last breath.’ ” [Associated Press, 10/9/12]
“Kaine attacked Allen for voting to privatize Social Security while he was a senator…” [The Hill, 10/8/12]
"Kaine “accused Allen of supporting privatization of Social Security....” [Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, 10/8/12]
“ “When George was in the United States Senate, he voted to privatize Social Security,’ Kaine said. ‘George Allen supports the Ryan Budget, which would turn the Medicare in to a voucher program.’ ” [Cavalier Daily, 10/8/12]
“ ‘When George was in the United States Senate, he voted to privatize Social Security, and that would have been a huge catastrophe,’ Mr. Kaine said. ‘I will fight efforts to privatize Social Security to my last breath.’ ” [Washington Times, 10/8/12]
“Kaine said he opposed privatization of either program.” [Washington Post, 10/8/12]
“ ‘When George was in the United States Senate, he voted to privatize Social Security. That would have been a huge catastrophe prior to the collapse of Wall Street. What I would do is over time allow the payroll tax cap to adjust upwards as a first way of protecting the solvency of the program rather than changing the retirement age,’ explained Kaine.” [NBC29, 10/8/12]
"Kaine had his own attack on Allen's record on Social Security while he served in the U.S. Senate from 2000-2006. ‘When George was in the U.S. Senate he voted to privatize Social Security,’ Kaine said during the debate. ‘That would have been a huge catastrophe prior to the collapse of Wall Street. What I would do over time is allow the payroll tax cap to adjust upwards as a first way of protecting the solvency of the program rather than changing the retirement age.’ Allen did show support for offering some private options to younger Americans paying into Social Security during his time in the U.S. Senate." [WSLS, 10/8/12]
“Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican George Allen drew sharper contrasts Monday between themselves in a televised primetime U.S. Senate debate on the issues of entitlements seniors have paid all their lives, with Allen backing higher retirement age and Kaine promising to protect Social Security ‘to my last breath.’ ” [Associated Press, 10/9/12]
"Allen called for an increase in the retirement age to ensure the solvency of both programs." [DC Examiner, 10/8/12]
“Kaine countered by noting Allen’s vote in the U.S. Senate for a partial privatization of Social Security, saying “that would have been a huge catastrophe prior to the collapse of Wall Street.” [Richmond Times Dispatch, 10/9/12]
ALLEN CALLS FOR PLAN TO AVOID SEQUESTRATION, KAINE DELIVERS
“Mr. Kaine reiterated his plan of allowing the Bush-era tax cuts to expire for incomes of more than $500,000, taking away subsidies for the country’s largest oil companies, and allowing the federal government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies over prescription-drug prices for a seniors’ entitlement program.” [Washington Times, 10/8/12]
“Accusing Allen of not answering the question, Kaine said that sequestration would ‘put us right back into the mix of a partisan battle we’ve been having for the past three years.’ ” [Suffolk News Herald, 10/8/12]
“ ‘The question was about sequester, and I did not hear any specifics from George other than we should repeal the Affordable Care Act, which the [Congressional Budget Office said] will increase the deficit, not reduce the deficit, and it would put us right back into the mix of a partisan battle we’ve been having for the last three years,’ Mr. Kaine said.” [Washington Times, 10/8/12]
"Kaine said the [sequestration] cuts could be avoided if Congress ended subsidies to the oil industry and raised taxes on higher earners. "I did not hear any specifics from George on how to deal with it other than repeal the Affordable Care Act," Kaine said." [DC Examiner, 10/8/12]
“Kaine laid out his plan to end the Bush-era tax cuts for families earning $500,000, ending subsidies to large oil companies and allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices, saying that would leave just a quarter of the cuts left to be made.” [The Hill, 10/8/12]
“Mr. Kaine, meanwhile, pushed back directly on multiple questions when he thought Mr. Allen was not being specific enough.” [Washington Times, 10/8/12]
“…Kaine accusing Allen of failing to offer specifics on how to avoid the cuts.” [Richmond Times Dispatch, 10/9/12]
KAINE CONTRASTED RECORD OF BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER WITH ALLEN’S HISTORY OF UNRELENTING PARTISANSHIP
“Kaine aligned himself with the President, but made a bi-partisan appeal, recalling his time serving as Governor under George Bush. He called out his opponent for a partisan past. ‘When he was Governor, he famously said that his job was to enjoy knocking Democrats' soft teeth down their whiney throats,’ he said. [WSET, 10/8/12]
“Kaine, who left office in 2010, responded that he was governor during the terms of President George W. Bush and President Obama and worked with two Republican state Houses. ‘I will always be a partner with the president of the United States, whoever that president is,’ Kaine said. He told viewers that he is the candidate who can bring compromise to Washington and pledged to help end the gridlock in Congress — something he said Allen did not do during his term in the Senate.” [Washington Post, 10/8/12]
“Kaine governed during the worst economic meltdown since the Great Depression, when soaring unemployment and withering investments and home prices forced Kaine and Virginia's Republican General Assembly to reconcile billions of dollars in budget shortfalls.” [Associated Press, 10/9/12]
“…with George Allen appealing only to Republicans, Tim Kaine may have the edge. ‘George Allen was definitely seeing the conservative. That is the audience he was going for,’ said [Sweet Briar professor Steve] Bragaw.” [WSET, 10/8/12]
"Kaine portrayed his opponent as a Republican who would add to the partisan gridlock on Capitol Hill." [DC Examiner, 10/8/12]
"Kaine fired back, accusing Allen of not knowing “basics of how to work together” across the aisle, pointing out that Allen had also headed a political committee when he chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and quoting Allen’s 1994 remark that he enjoyed knocking Democrats’ ‘soft teeth down their whiny throats.’ ” [The Hill, 10/8/12]
"While Allen continued to blast the economic recovery, Kaine found an opportunity to capitalize on it. "I really believe that there are some signs that economy is starting to move forward," Kaine said. "But I think Congress is the ankle weight." [DC Examiner, 10/8/12]
"Kaine consistently touted his work across the aisle…" [Politico, 10/8/12]
"During the debate Kaine pointed out that his budget also included eliminating the estate tax and that he worked to remove some low income Virginians from the income tax roll all together. [WSLS, 10/8/12]
“Virginia's estate tax was also repealed under Kaine's watch.” [Associated Press, 10/9/12]
“Mr. Kaine described Congress as an “ankle weight” on the economy — and that electing Mr. Allen would only make it worse. ‘When he was governor, he famously said, his job was to enjoy knocking Democrats’ soft teeth down their whiny throats,” he said. “We need folks who know how to compromise and work together.’ ” [Washington Times, 10/8/12]
“ ‘We need folks who know how to compromise and work together,’ he said, adding that during Allen’s time in the Senate, spending and deficits increased. He also sought to cast Allen as a bully, twice mentioning the Republican’s old vow to ‘knock Democrats’ soft teeth down their whiny throats.’ ” [Washington Post, 10/8/12]
“Kaine said lawmakers in both parties will have to compromise to achieve meaningful deficit reduction. He said Congress should allow the George W. Bush-era tax cuts to expire for incomes greater than $500,000, allow the government to negotiate Medicare prescription drug prices and end taxpayer subsidies for big oil companies to put a significant dent in the deficit.” [Roanoke Times, 10/9/12]
KAINE VOWED TO FIGHT SECRET MONEY IN POLITICS, WHILE ALLEN CONTINUES TO BENEFIT FROM IT
“Kaine said he would pursue a ‘no secret money’ rule, while Allen said the U.S. Supreme Court has spoken on the matter.” [Suffolk News Herald, 10/8/12]
“Asked about the massive amounts of third-party money flowing into campaign advertising this year thanks to two 2010 court decisions, Kaine said he would support legislation to require disclosure. ‘No one should be able to give money to campaigns and give it in secrecy,’ Kaine said. ‘I will try very, very hard to make sure there’s no secret money in politics, and voters have the right to know who’s funding campaigns.’ ” [Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, 10/8/12]
“Kaine said he would like to see an end to hidden campaign contributions.” [WTVR, 10/8/12]
ALLENS POLITICAL ATTACKS ON KAINE FALL FLAT
“Mr. Kaine, though, said that his final year might have been his best one in office, listing accomplishments such as banning smoking in restaurants and preserving open space in the state. His campaign also pointed to positive statements from Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell and a staffer for former Gov. James S. Gilmore III, also a Republican, about Mr. Kaine’s serving as chairman.” [Washington Times, 10/8/12]
“Mr. Allen — who himself headed the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the early 2000s…” [Washington Times, 10/8/12]
“Kaine responded that Allen himself spent two years as chairman of the National Senatorial Campaign Committee as governor, and that former Republican Gov. Jim Gilmore was Republican National Committee chairman in his own last year as Virginia governor.” [Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, 10/8/12]
“Noting that Allen served as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the Senate, Kaine brushed off the criticism, saying he felt his final year in office was his best, touting a ban on smoking in restaurants, new open space requirements and business recruitment in the state during the recession.” [Richmond Times Dispatch, 10/9/12]
“Kaine noted that some of his administration’s most notable achievements, including a hard-fought restaurant smoking ban, major business recruitments, and advancements in foster care reform and land preservation, occurred during that year.” [Roanoke Times, 10/9/12]
“Kaine also criticized Allen for attacking him while he accepted a position in party leadership during his time in the Senate.” [WTVR, 10/8/12]