So, does this wipe Kaine out of the Veepstakes?

[Adrahil]

Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine took advantage of the state’s lax gift laws to receive an $18,000 Caribbean vacation, $5,500 in clothes and a trip to watch George Mason University play in the NCAA basketball Final Four during his years as lieutenant governor and governor, according to disclosures he filed.

Now a leading contender to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate, Kaine reported more than $160,000 in gifts from 2001 to 2009, mostly for travel to and from political events and conferences, according to disclosures compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project. The givers included political supporters, a drug company that soon after bought a facility in Virginia, and Dominion, the state’s biggest provider of electricity


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/tim-kaine-virginia-veep-mcdonnell-clinton-224888#ixzz4D5v115eE
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[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I sure hope so. He'd be the worst choice.

[RBInMaine]

6. Purist hyperbole. We need a balanced ticket. Warren brings NOTHING to the table other than

"excitement" and happy dances. Yes, she is very smart and I like her a lot. But VP, no.

[CrowCityDem]

2. Hardly. It's not optimal, but it's also not a violation of anything.

It will be embarrassing for a moment or two, but that's about it. It's at the same level as the criticism of Warren's heritage. Both are minor blips that won't make any difference to the end result.

[Adrahil]

10. I agree that is noting illegal. But it's hardly helpful. NT

[Armstead]

11. Um look at the fate of a certain other Virginia governor who took gifts

Kane did acknowledge receipt, which probably keeps it legal. But it's not good practice -- especially in an election where purchase of influence is an issue.

[politicaljunkie41910]

3. If it was disclosed it doesn't appear to me that he was trying to hide it.

Whether or not it is a problem depends on what the laws in the state of Virginia say about such things. We do know based on this weeks SCOTUS decision is, if there was no quid pro quo than there shouldn't be an issue in the state of Virginia.

[riversedge]

4. Someone was talking about this last evening on cable news--not an issue since it

seems most in Virginia new about it (per the guest). But you know the media and fox news and the republicans--the outrage will be thunder!

[RBInMaine]

8. Who gives flying fuck what the Republicans and Fox News say? They can go piss up a rope.

[riversedge]

12. I do not care either and

hope you know that. No need to blast me to outer space for making an observation.

[MADem]

5. I find him a bit too conservative for my tastes, but it's not like he broke any laws.

The laws are "lax" and he reported the gifts which were mostly for travel to and from political events and conferences....

"How dare you obey the law!" isn't a very good "accusation" -- especially when the opponent's team is led by a bright orange, thin-skinned, lawsuit-happy, organized crime-associating, sleazy thief who hasn't released his tax returns and has rarely attended a political event, never mind a conference, before he decided that he wanted to be POTUS.

[RBInMaine]

7. All was legal and reported. Warner and other past governors from both sides did the same.

[geek tragedy]

9. certainly doesn't help nt