Kaine, facing cameras, stays mum
Posted: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 1:20 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
WASHINGTON -- Some guys would have walked out a side door with just a wave and a "no comment."
But, after being treated to front-page speculation this morning, veep potential and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine held a full-blown press conference outside the Washington, D.C. radio station where he appeared to discuss state issues on a monthly radio show.
As in the radio interview, Kaine's press conference was peppered with questions about his rumored top spot as a vice presidential pick to the Democratic nominee. Kaine denied lobbying for the job -- a sure way not to get the job -- saying, "I have not sought it, I'm not running for it, I'm not asking for it. I've never asked anything of the campaign."
He refused to address rumors that he's had "serious conversations" about the job, saying that he does not publicly discuss his communications with the Obama campaign. (But the governor said that he does "chat fairly often" with Obama, mostly about campaign efforts in home state Virginia.)
And Kaine also tried to refute rumors that he would be meeting with Obama during his visit to Washington. "I don't have plans for any meeting with anybody on anything other than pure family," he said. Earlier, during WTOP's show, he said that he "has no idea" when he next expects to see the Democratic nominee.
The lengthly outdoor press conference, attended by reporters and cameras from each of the five major networks, ensures that pictures of Kaine will make cable and evening newscasts in the nation's capital, at the very least upping the profile of the possible veep.
In addition to downplaying his own shot at the No. 2 spot, Kaine was also careful not to be too ebullient about the boss's odds. Asked about Obama's comment at a fundraiser last night that, when it comes to the state of the presidential race, "the odds of winning are very good," he responded cautiously. "The polls are looking good for him right now," said Kaine. "but I think that we all still need to have, those of us who are his supporters, an underdog mentality about this race."
[EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this post incorrectly indicated that Kaine doesn't normally do the radio show from Washington, D.C. Kaine's office called First Read to let us know that Kaine, in fact, does normally do the show from D.C.]
