At 7 pm tonight, Sen. Tim Kaine — fresh off his endorsement by iconic Virginia Republican and long-time U.S. Senator John Warner — will debate neo-Confederate Corey Stewart on NBC-4. See below for the live stream of the debate, as well as my live blog below the video. I will try to call out what are certain to be a deluge of lies, mistatements, and lunacy by neo-Confederate Corey. For some background on some of Corey’s most frequent lies, see the Kaine campaign’s fact sheet, “10 Lies You Will Hear Corey Stewart Say at Tonight’s Senate Debate.” With that…enjoy?
UPDATE 7:59 pm – Absolute demolition of Corey Stewart by Tim Kaine. Great job! As for the questions, there were some decent ones, but the most important issue facing humanity – climate change – wasn’t asked about. Massive #FAIL by Chuck Todd et al. Many other important topics weren’t asked about either, while some minor ones (e.g., renaming the Russell Senate Office Building) were. Still, great job by Sen. Kaine, who makes Virginia proud every day. Horrendous job by Virginia’s #1 embarrassment, Corey Stewart. On November 6, make sure you turn out IN DROVES and vote Democratic up and down the ballot!
UPDATE 7:55 pm – In his closing statement, Corey again goes back to the “Kaine opposes Trump” line. As if that’s a bad thing. Yawn. Kaine says Virginians are positive and welcoming, inclusive and innovate people. Kaine says we need a Virginia that works FOR ALL. Let’s pull together and do good things for our Commonwealth and our country. Kaine says when Corey Stewart says “take Virginia back,” Virginians “don’t want to go back.”
UPDATE 7:54 pm – Question on the filibuster, for whatever reason, by Chuck Todd. Hey Chuck, you know what’s a more important question you SHOULD have asked? CLIMATE CHANGE! Ugh, corporate media reporters. And now, Corey ranting again about Kaine supposedly opposing everything Trump wants. So sad!
UPDATE 7:51 pm – Yet another question by Chuck Todd on the Kavanaugh allegations. Kaine says we need to hear from everybody, do the FBI investigation that should be done. Corey rants about “268 charges of sexual harassment” in Congress and “hush money.” This guy is a complete joke, unfit to be dog catcher, let alone a U.S. Senator! Kaine says that many of the facts are out there because he pushed for this information to come out and that he wants it all out. “For you to stand here after you called Dr. Ford ‘a bunch of crap’…”
UPDATE 7:50 pm – Question on SW Virginia, coal, and what the reporter misnames as “alternative energy.” Kaine says Corey needs to get out more, that the United Mine Workers “support me and not you.”
UPDATE 7:46 pm – Question on Amazon’s second HQ in Northern Virginia. Kaine says “I hope we get it,” wants Virginia to win any competition we’re in. Kaine says there will be challenges, of course, and we will have to pull together to find funding for transportation and housing. But it will also be a “huge magnet for talent.” Corey talks about his record in PW County and then segues into praising his dear leader, Trump. As Kaine points out, the GOP tax cut was a huge missed opportunity, added $2 trillion to the debt, etc. As governor, Kaine points out that he brought in a bunch of businesses, but that they didn’t want to go to PW County because of Corey.
UPDATE 7:42 pm – Question on ERA. Corey says it should NOT be part of the constitution, claims it’s a “failed idea,” would have forced women to be subject to the draft. Claims adding the ERA would be good for the lawyers but bad for America (again, WTF??? is this guy completely insane???). Kaine says the ERA would be “good for women,” “of course the ERA should be ratified.” “Women should be valued.” “I don’t think Dr. Ford should be attacked and called a bunch of crap…I don’t think you should have gone down to campaign for Roy Moore…after he had been outed as a serial predator of teenage girls.” Corey says there are 268 allegations of sexual harassment in Congress, and that supposedly Kaine is trying to “sweep this under the rug” (yeah, Corey’s completely insane…seek help, dude).
UPDATE 7:39 pm – Question on healthcare. Kaine says he supports the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion, stopping the Trump administration’s sabotage of the Affordable Care Act. First, stop the sabotage, then move on to Medicare X. Corey claims that “didn’t sound very bipartisan to me.” Corey claims Kaine has become a “bitter, partisan figure.” LOL, what a joke. Now the demagogic idiot is completely misstating what universal health care would be. Kaine says in PW County, Corey tried to eliminate the public health department. Kaine says he believes in Americans having the option to buy into Medicare.
UPDATE 7:35 pm – Question about statues, racial sensitivity, etc. Corey says he’s been elected and reelected in PW County, a majority-minority county, several times. Corey claims Dems and the media are obsessed with race, that race is NOT the problem in America. Hmmmm. Kaine says Corey’s campaign theme, “take Virginia back,” sends a message. When he questions Obama’s birth certificate, that sends a message. When he campaigns for Roy Moore, that sends a message. When he pals around with “noted white supremacists” like Jason Kessler, that sends a message. Corey claims that Kaine is “reading race into everything” (WTF???). Corey bizarrely claims Kaine is fine with discriminating against Asian Americans in education (again, WTF???). Kaine says he’s never supported discrimination in any way/shape/form, that of course we want Asian Americans well represented in every area of public life.
UPDATE 7:33 pm – Question about renaming the Russell Senate Office Building (seriously, this is an important issue???). Kaine says he’d vote to rename it for Sen. John McCain. Corey says Dems and the media keep bringing up statues, which should stay up. Corey describes Kaine in alternative bizarro-world terms as “bitterly partisan.” Who even knows what the hell he’s talking about? Kaine says, “Corey, don’t put your bitterness off on me…it’s you, not me.” Kaine says John McCain was a Republican and an “American hero.”
UPDATE 7:32 pm – The Kaine campaign notes, “Corey Stewart oversaw budget cuts to health care and education in Prince William County that underfunded key priorities. The deep cuts included eliminating the county health department, slashing maternal and child care, and undercut efforts to address high and rising class sizes in Prince William schools.” Also that “Corey Stewart oversaw multiple cuts to gang violence prevention programs in Prince William County…” And “Corey Stewart dismissed, downplayed, and mocked Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s serious allegation of sexual assault against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, comparing them to pulling a ‘girl’s pigtails in 1st grade’ and calling them a ‘bunch of crap.’”
“UPDATE 7:25 pm – On ICE, Kaine says the problem is not the agency, it’s the policies, and that it’s time to do comprehensive immigration reform. Kaine says he will absolutely NOT “demonize” immigrants, as Corey does. Kaine says, correctly, that this has hurt PW County. Corey claims he “loves immigrants,” but of course has spent the entire campaign conflating immigrants generally and violent criminals. Kaine says he’s the only one on this stage who has voted for comprehensive immigration reform multiple times. Kaine also notes that immigrants have built our country. Kaine also said he was a crime-fighting mayor. Kaine says Corey smears DREAMers and immigrants by focusing on crime instead of opportunity and “new American talent.” Says Corey’s themes are “angry” and “divisive,” that we need leaders who are “upbeat” and “positive.”
UPDATE 7:21 pm – Question about the “two Corey Stewarts,” and whether the second one is “an act.” Corey dodges the question, claims he had to “break a few [arms]” to get stuff done in PW County. Charming. Kaine says the people who know Corey best are the PW County GOP supervisors who work with him on the Board, at that not one would endorse him when he ran for governor in 2017. Corey flails, claims Kaine is “insulting our school teachers,” which of course he isn’t. Note that Corey never answered the question, by the way.
UPDATE 7:17 pm – Question on what Kaine would do if Democrats take back power. Kaine says he’ll continue to work across the aisle to try to find partnerships. If Trump proposes things that are bad, he says he will stand up against them. Kaine says you can’t just call the other side names and expect to get work done with them. Corey again says all Kaine does is “blaming the other side,” which is not at all what Kaine’s been doing, if you’ve actually been watching the debate. But Corey’s got his talking points and he’s not deviating from them, I guess. Kaine says Corey wanted Trump to veto the bill that funds the Navy and our troops. Kaine says as governor, Virginia was the best-managed state in America. Kaine says the “i” word we need to focus on is “investigation,” namely protecting the Mueller investigation. In stark contrast, Corey has called the Mueller investigation a “witch hunt” (which should, by the way, automatically disqualify him right there).
UPDATE 7:13 pm – Question about Trump’s failed promise to have a huge transportation program. Corey again attacks Kaine, falsely. In fact, “As Governor, Kaine passed the ‘first substantial funding reforms for Virginia’s roads, rails and transit operations in a generation’ and played a key role in making projects like Metro’s Silver Line to Dulles, the Norfolk Tide light-rail system, and extending Amtrak service to Lynchburg a reality. In the Senate, Kaine has secured funding for major projects like the I-95 Atlantic Gateway multimodal project, a new interstate connector at Norfolk International Terminal, the replacement of the Chesapeake Deep Creek Bridge, and rehabilitation of the I-64 Delta Frame Bridges.” Kaine said if you walk out of this building, there’s something called the Silver Line…and it happened during the Kaine administration. Kaine also did HOT lanes on the Beltway, down through Prince William County – Corey’s own county. Kaine says if Trump would quit trying to repeal everyone’s health care, we could do transportation. Corey makes more outlandish claims that seriously have no connection to reality, so not even worth commenting on really…
UPDATE 7:10 pm – Question about Kaine’s vote against Judge Gorsuch. Kaine says he takes this “very seriously,” did his “homework,” and that Gorsuch is an “activist judge” on women’s freedom to make their own healthcare decisions. Corey attacks Kaine for opposing 17 Trump appointments (I know, the horror!). According to Corey, “Tim Kaine votes automatically against the president of the United States.” Corey also claims Kaine is “bitter about 2016.” Kaine says, correctly, that he’s voted for “many of President Trump’s nominees, many of them.” Trump has also signed 17 of Kaine’s bills.
UPDATE 7:07 pm – Corey Stewart, not surprisingly, leaps to the defense of Brett Kavanaugh and dismisses/minimizes the incredibly serious allegations against him. Sen. Kaine says it’s “beneath dignity” for Corey Stewart to call Dr. Ford’s allegations “a bunch of crap” and minimized the allegations about “pulling a girl’s pigtails.” Kaine said Corey is going after the accusers, “as you always do,” “trying to demean them.” No idea what Corey is even raving about now – $17 million in “hush money?” WTF? The guy’s completely bonkers.
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