FOX News "FOX and Friends"- Transcript

FOX News "FOX and Friends"

MR. KILMEADE: Virginia Governor Tim Kaine is here to respond from the Obama campaign.

What was the senator referring to --

GOV. KAINE: Hi, guys.

MR. KILMEADE: Governor, welcome back to the show.

GOV. KAINE: Yeah, good to be with you.

Well, look, I don't think anybody in America will be surprised at the notion that the world is going to throw some tests at our next president. We're in two wars. We've got very serious concerns with Russia's designs on Georgia and the Ukraine and all kinds of other international incidents. The next president, whoever it is, is going to face major challenges of national security on the world stage.

And that's why it's so important to get this right. And that's why I go back to, you know, what General Powell said on Sunday which is, in a time like this where we face such significant challenges, we've got to pick a leader who has very calm and steady judgment. General Powell talked about Senator McCain in the financial crisis -- how he has kind of been careening all over the deck. And that's not what we need in a time of great tumult and concern at the world stage.

So Senator Biden was just stating the obvious, which is the world's going to throw some challenges at this nation and at the next president. We've got to have somebody who can deal with them.

MR. DOOCY: But it almost sounds, Governor, as if he's suggesting, okay, this guy's going to be in here and the world is going to know that he's new at this and they're going to throw a curveball his way. Suggesting, perhaps -- I mean, if you parse it one way or another, and we've just had Rudy Giuliani on -- it's as if, you know, John McCain does have the experience with international affairs and with the military, something that Barack Obama simply does not.

GOV. KAINE: Well, I think that the senator has got great experience. And again, General Powell -- you know, I live in Virginia, which is probably one of the most pro-military states. One in 10 Virginians is a veteran. We have active duty, Guard, Reserve military families, DOD civilian employees, military contractors, many installations, including the Pentagon. We're probably the most military state per capita there is and Senator Obama is doing just fine here now, because of the rationale that General Powell articulated so well on Sunday.

We've got to have a commander in chief who has a steady hand on the tiller, who knows how to pick the people and listen to them and that we can count on to make good judgments. And it's that judgment factor -- not erratic, not, you know, getting all "mavericky" all the time, but trying to be steady and sober and calm in facing these challenges. That's what we need right now.

MR. KILMEADE: Governor Kaine, are you surprised that a senator who wants to be vice president of the United States would go to something that seems to be a strength of your opponent?

GOV. KAINE: Well, you know, Senator Biden was talking -- there are two main issues in this campaign. It is Americans want to change the leadership of this nation in managing the economy and Americans want to change the leadership of this nation in our national security policy.

National security has to be a function of strength in three areas: military strength, diplomatic strength, but also strength of our moral example. And American desperately want change in both of these areas. So Senator Biden and Senator Obama are going to talk about these two fundamental concerns that Americans have.

MR. DOOCY: Governor, I used to live in your state up in Northern Virginia up around the Great Falls area. And I was talking to a friend out there last night on the phone. And one of the things he said that he's really -- really got his attention in the last week was when Barack Obama said to Joe the Plumber, you know, we've got to spread the wealth around -- talking about how he's going to jack up taxes for America's most successful people.

You know, some people in Northern Virginia -- that got their attention! They don't like the idea of spreading the wealth around.

GOV. KAINE: Well, you know, I think the way I heard that comment was that we want to make sure that everybody's got a shot at wealth and that is something that I think we all believe. And that's why Senator Obama's economics plan from the start -- and I've been kind of a little bit working on the economics plan with some of the folks at the University of Chicago -- has been focused on two things. You have to ask the question: How do you define success? And Senator Obama says you define it by how the middle-class is doing and how small businesses are doing.

So middle-class tax cuts for folks making less than 250(,000 dollars) and for small businesses, not only do they get that cut -- because most of them are making less than 250(,000 dollars) net income -- no capital gains for small businesses.

MR. KILMEADE: More with that thought right after this break.

GOV. KAINE: Okay, thanks.

(Commercial break.)

MR. DOOCY: Still with us from Richmond, Virginia: Governor Tim Kaine, who's helping Barack Obama with his economic plan.

Governor, one of those pesky commercials was about to obliterate your answer. So you were saying?

GOV. KAINE: Yes. I was saying, look, Virginia -- we care a lot about the economy and business. Forbes has names us the most business-friendly state in America for the last three years. And what I appreciate about Senator Obama's economics plan is its focus on middle-class success and small business.

So tax cuts for the middle-class, that's been talked about a lot, but it hasn't gotten as much attention. That for nearly a year now Senator Obama is saying for small businesses, first, that middle-class tax cut will affect most small businesses. Second, no capital gains taxes at all for small and startup businesses; third, tax credits for small businesses who buy health insurance for their employees.

He's had a very specific small business strategy, which Senator McCain has not. And we all know that the engine of job growth in the nation tends to be small businesses. So that's what I like about his plan.

MR. DOOCY: All right, from the capital city there in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Governor, we thank you very much.

GOV. KAINE: Hey, thanks guys.

END.

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