Kaine reflects on lessons learned By Jim Ridolphi news@mechlocal.com
After 16 years in public office, former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine readily admits he doesn’t have all the answers, but he has learned a thing or two in his decade and a half of public service. On April 12, the current head of the Democratic National Committee reflected on his life as a public servant and packed all of that experience in five lessons learned. He delivered that message to alumni, students and friends at Randolph-Macon College’s Blackwell Auditorium. Kaine’s background may have made him the least likely candidate for elected office, coming from a home where politics was far down the list of priorities. “I came from a home where politics was never discussed,� he said describing his childhood in Kansas City, Mo. After earning a B.S. in economics, Kaine entered law school at Harvard, but took a year off to work as a Roman Catholic missionary, running a small school for teenage boys in Honduras. He graduated from Harvard in 1983, beginning a 17-year career as a civil rights lawyer in Richmond.
Jim Ridolphi
Former Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine was the keynote speaker on Monday, April 12, at Randolph-Macon College.
Kaine entered politics on the local level, something he suggests as an appropriate path to higher office. He served four terms on Richmond City Council, including two terms as mayor of the city. After serving as Mark Warner’s lieutenant governor, Kaine was elected to Virginia’s top spot in 2006. The former governor said many people
Show MOM your appreciation with a
are scared off by the bare-knuckled reality of politics, or what they perceive the arena to be. “Public service is a noble pursuit and the system works only when good people step forward,� Kaine told the audience. Kaine’s second nugget of advice was something he learned in his law practice. “You have to be willing to lose. Some people would rather quit than lose.� He also said losses in his legal career and in politics only made his resolve to accomplish goals stronger, and he urged students to keep their eye on a goal and pursue it. “Go after stuff and go after it until you get it.� The former governor cited the recently enacted smoking ban in restaurants as a prime example of what tenacity can yield. After several failed attempts to enact the ban, Kaine’s persistence finally paid off. “You have to have a willingness to put it all on the line and lose.� Another important lesson on Kaine’s list was the realization that the voting public will eventually get it right. “People are smart,� he said. “They figure things out eventually. They really do get it.� see KAINE, pg. 21 `
Through a special process a
Real Rose 24K Gold.
has been treated and preserved in
Nothing outshines it for Mother’s Day! All the beauty and symbolism of a real rose has been combined with the value, durability, and luster of pure gold. Because each rose is real, it is unique, and like your love, will last forever.
.95
DIAMOND MERCHANTS HANOVER SQUARE SOUTH • MECHANICSVILLE, VA • 804-559-7984
/P (BNFT +VTU %FBMT
4FMFDU 'SPN .PSF UIBO
RUSSELL /FX 5PZPUBT BU .D(FPSHF
4BWF 5IPVTBOET XJUI "13 PO /FX 5PZPUB .PEFMT
$POTFDVUJWF 5PZPUB 1SFTJEFOU "XBSE 8JOOFS
/FX 5PZPUB $PSPMMB
"13
35 Highway / 26 City*
.BTUFS $FSUJÙFE 5PZPUB 4BMFT 1SPGFTTJPOBMT
59
$
/FX 5PZPUB $BNSZ 31 Highway / 21 City* Includes 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid Models
Russell D. Franklin’s body was discovered in his blue Cadillac. "13
Photo courtesy of Hanover County Sheriff’s Office
.PSF UIBO 4BUJTÙFE .D(FPSHF $VTUPNFST
"13
9319 West Broad Street Richmond, Va. 23294 1-800-518-1106 www.mcgeorgetoyota.com
/FX 5PZPUB :BSJT 36 Highway / 29 City*
/FX 5PZPUB 1SJVT 48 Highway / 51 City*
"13
QualiďŹ ed TFS Buyers receive as low as 0% for up to 60 months paying $16.67 per thousand ďŹ nanced on 2010 Camry, 2010 Camry Hybrid, 2010 Corolla and 2010 Yaris and 0% for up to 36 months paying $27.78 per thousand ďŹ nanced on 2010 Prius. Offers Expire April 30, 2010. *EPA Estimated Fuel Economy.
The Mechanicsville Local
April 21, 2010
5