Some Reasons to Trust Tim Kaine

Some Reasons to Trust Tim Kaine
by F. T. Rea

Note: Characterizing the shutdown ending maneuver executed by the recently formed Gang of Eight Senate Democrats earlier this week as "caving," deliberately puts it in a bad light. OK, I can certainly see some reasons why one would be tempted do that.

However, in the long run, I think some political historians may turn out to be a bit more generous with their labeling of the Gang's rather bold tactics to turn the page on this fraught shutdown episode. Anyway, here are some of my thoughts on this controversial topic:

Trusting Tim Kane: Part One

Nov. 10, 2025: When I drank in the shutdown news unfolding last night, my shot of numbing disappointment was followed by a chaser of pure frustration.

Like millions of Democrats, coast-to-coast, I wondered: what the hell was the point of holding out through 40 tortuous days of shutdown horrors, only to fold your hand just five days after an eyepopping series of uplifting landslide election results? Only to cave.

Note: "Cave," meaning to give up and collapse into a steaming heap. To wither and slither away. To capitulate. Ouch!

So I cut off the TV and went to bed. Before I fell asleep I asked the ghosts of Eleanor Roosevelt, Robert F. Kennedy, Jackie Robinson, Luis Buñuel, and others, "what in the world was the point?"

Then, after I watched/listened to Sen. Tim Kaine this morning on MSNBC, everything changed! A good night's sleep made the difference.

Kaine is a leader in the new gang of eight Democrats in the Senate who have launched a new reopening-the-government-strategy. In addition to Kaine, the Gang includes: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen, Maggie Hassan, Sen. Angus King, Sen. Jacky Rosen, Sen. Catherine Masto and Sen. John Fetterman.

Preview: Basically, right now I think Kaine understands the particular time and place the Democrats are in much better than does Sen. Chuck Schumer. I also think Kaine is more of a problem-solver than he is an ideologue. That's always been true.

Dig it: the Gang has gotten us all out of a damn rut. Now there's movement and we'll soon see how he and his cohorts will spend whatever political capital they are amassing by creating what may be a solution that's a work-in-progress.

Cheers...

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Trusting Tim Kane: Part Two

Nov. 13, 2025: They say, "every dog has his day." Yes, and styles always change.
All that said, in politics leaders reman popular for only so long.

Next year, I believe the Democrats in the US Senate should choose a new leader. Furthermore, I believe one of the best ways to gather and focus the energy and momentum of November 4's landslide victories will be to make room for new leadership in lots of places under 2026's big tent. That means it's about time to replace New York's Sen. Chuck Schumer.

Moreover, I see this as the time for leaders who are not too scared of taking a few chances on new strategies. Some different tactics. Maybe the best choice to be the new leader in the Senate next year would be a savvy senator some Democrats are mad at right now -- Virginia's Sen. Tim Kaine.

It looks to me like Kaine and his cohorts came to understand that the Republicans in the Senate were never going to agree to extending Obamacare tax credit subsidies while the federal government was in shutdown mode.

Trump's base simply doesn't care how many kids might starve to death without SNAP in working order. Actually, it seems the MAGA cultists enjoyed dealing out pain and anxiety. Trump loves doing just that. So, continuing to hold out for something that can never, ever, happen was somewhat like playing chicken with a crazy, suicidal opponent. .

Truth be told, the Gang of Eight had very little leverage to work with. Frankly, I'm a little surprised and impressed the Gang got as much in the way of concessions as they did from the happy-to-be-cruel Republicans.

Nonetheless, I'm expecting that as the coming weeks go by, more and more people in Congress, as well as the voters, will see the wisdom and courage of the Gang's deal-cutting maneuver to reopen the government and give the Democrats a chance to present their healthcare insurance case on the Senate floor next month. No, it's not a big chance. But it's a chance.

Note: Here's the text of the message Tim Kaine emailed to his constituency regarding the
Gang of Eight's Shutdown Ending Deal: .

Friends,

Last night I voted for a deal to reopen the government, and I want you to hear directly from me about why.

I said from the start that to earn my vote, we needed to be on a path toward fixing Republicans’ health care mess, and we needed to protect the federal workforce. I voted “no” with my Democratic colleagues for 40 days because the GOP didn’t put anything on the table I could in good conscience vote “yes” on.

But over those 40 days, 2 million federal employees — and more than 300,000 in Virginia — were suffering. They missed two paychecks, with another around the corner. These workers, along with the millions of federal contractors who have been going without pay, have families that depend on them.

Beyond the pain of missing paychecks, hundreds of thousands of furloughed workers were wondering if they were next in line to be fired by Trump.

Tens of millions of SNAP recipients were going without benefits they rely on to put food on the table.
Air traffic was suffering nationwide — with real safety dangers.

And after 40 days, there was still no path to an Affordable Care Act vote. Republicans would not even debate an ACA fix until the government reopened — period.

So we negotiated for what we could get.

Last night’s vote paved the way to reopen the government with robust full-year funding for SNAP, WIC, and other important safety net services — because we just can’t let people go hungry.

All furloughed workers will return to work with backpay — so people can pay their mortgages, rent, and heating bills.

All the federal workers who Trump baselessly fired will be reinstated — and no federal agencies will be allowed to conduct mass layoffs for the duration of this funding bill.

Since Trump’s second term began, our federal workers have been constantly trashed. Tormented. Illegally fired. This deal is a big win for them.

Finally, last night’s vote gave us a path for an ACA fix to stop a devastating rise in premiums — something Republicans weren’t even willing to consider before last night. It’s not a guarantee, but I believe we can win this critical ACA battle if we fight for it together. We won’t win it if we turn to in-fighting.

And at a bare minimum, this fight will show the American people with complete clarity who is standing with them to make health care affordable, and who isn’t. That’s the real fight we need to focus on in 2026.

As we move forward, I will keep working toward a long-term government spending plan that supports Virginians and all Americans.

Thanks for reading.

—Tim Kaine

One of the most hopeful and significant things about the turnout for the 2025 Blue Wave elections was that there was a sharp increase in young voters. The young leaders that were most responsible for making that happen should be recognized and put in important leadership positions within the Democratic Party.

Meanwhile, Sen. Tim Kaine is a bona fide problem-solver. I trust his judgment.

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