MSNBC Interview - Transcript
Interview
MSNBC Interview - Transcript
MSNBC INTERVIEW WITH VIRGINIA GOVERNOR TIM KAINE (D)
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S BUDGET INTERVIEWER: CONTESSA BREWER
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MS. BREWER: Joining me by phone is chairman of the Democratic National Committee former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.
It's great to talk to you today, sir.
GOV. KAINE: And Contessa, I'm not a former governor. I'm sitting here right now dealing with the snow emergency in Richmond. (Laughs.)
MS. BREWER: You know, I'm just -- I'm just -- I'm just reading what's written for me here and -- without even thinking about it. Governor, sorry about that. Listen --
GOV. KAINE: No, that's okay. Don't worry about it.
MS. BREWER: Let me ask you -- I mean, here you are. You're the executive of your state.
GOV. KAINE: Yup.
MS. BREWER: How do you go in and tackle massive projects, and then one massive project after the next? And if you do that, is there a danger of failing altogether?
GOV. KAINE: Well, it is a -- it's a difficult time. I mean, I think all Americans, kind of regardless of what they think about the right strategy, would acknowledge we're living in very challenging times where urgent action is needed. We cannot allow the economy continue (sic) to slide, and we can't allow persistent problems that we've ignored to go unaddressed. And so what the president is doing is making good on his campaign promises that we're going to change the direction that we are operating this government and try to make fundamental reforms.
The -- is it a high-stakes proposition? Sure it is. But we're living in high-stakes time, and the cost of inaction or incrementalism I think is actually more risky.
MS. BREWER: All right. So CNBC's Larry Kudlow, Governor, said on Obama's budget, "Let me be very clear on the economics of President Obama's State of the Union speech and his budget. He's declaring war on investors, entrepreneurs, small businesses, large corporations and private-equity and venture-capital funds." What's your response to such harsh criticism from someone who knows money?
GOV. KAINE: Contessa, forgive me for saying it's cable-speak. Everything in the news culture of today has to be hyperbole or at the very extreme. But look, this is tough times, and the president is laying out an ambitious agenda. But the notion that it's war on anybody is wrong. It's just trying to make reforms.
I mean, for example, one of the things that people talk about is, well, you know, the budget's big. President Obama's doing something with his budget that other presidents haven't been honest enough to do, which is he's including the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the main budget so that the American people can see what the costs are rather than financing the wars in kind of the off- the-books way that hides the true cost from the American public.
MS. BREWER: I know that there --
GOV. KAINE: It's an honest -- honesty-in-budget philosophy that I think is very smart.
MS. BREWER: I know that there's a lot of consternation about the situation that we're in, and a lot of people who feel like sitting back and taking no action simply is to ensure failure.
Governor Tim Kaine -- thanks so much for your time today, Governor. I appreciate it.
GOV. KAINE: All right, Contessa. Take care. Bye-bye.
END.
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