RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine Tuesday sharply criticized what he called the administration's "poor choices and bad management."
In delivering one of two Democratic responses to President Bush's State of the Union address, Kaine responded point-by-point, rejecting the administration approach on everything from the war on terror to healthcare and education.
Kaine said it's time for Americans to ask whether the president's policies are the best way to win the war on terror, noting the justification for going to war in Iraq was based on faulty intelligence.
"We now know that our troops in Iraq were not given the best body armor or the best intelligence," Kaine said. "We now know that the administration wants to cut tens of thousands of troops from the Army Reserves and National Guard and at the very time we are is facing new and dangerous threats. And we now know the administration wants to further reduce military and veterans' benefits."
Kaine said it appears "some of our leaders in Washington" have forgotten Americans can do great things if they work together instead of reveling in partisan bickering.
"The federal government should serve the American people," Kaine said. "But that mission is frustrated by this administration's poor choices and bad management. ...
"The better way is to focus on service. It's about measuring what we do in terms of real results for real people. It's not about partisanship or political spin."
