Here Come the Spoils....

It hasn't been a half-hour since the AP called the Virginia race, and already a profile about religion in the life of Gov.-elect Tim Kaine, a Democrat and the first Catholic to ever hold the top office in the Old Dominion state. (Final results show Kaine with a margin of victory of 100,000 votes -- 51.5% to 46.1% on a turnout of 41%.)

As a Christian missionary in Honduras during his early 20s, Tim Kaine was devastated by the poverty surrounding him and vowed to spend the rest of his life serving others.

That dedication to serve has taken Kaine all the way to the governor's mansion in Virginia.

The Democrat's Roman Catholic faith has played a major role in his life, from his childhood as an altar boy to his work in Honduras - a pivotal experience that helped shape his political aspirations.

His faith-based opposition to the death penalty landed him squarely in the middle of a fierce battle with his Republican opponent, Jerry Kilgore, during the race for governor. Kilgore said Kaine couldn't be trusted to uphold Virginia's death penalty; Kaine argued he can separate his religious beliefs from his duty to uphold state law.

I said this weeks ago, that the Kaine message of "I won't let other people tell me how to practice my faith" was sheer brilliance, and that it would resonate with Evangelicals.

As a final note, Jerry Kilgore's professed love for capital punsihment made the Republican nominee the most pro-death candidate I've seen in quite some time. No pro-choice Democrat in recent memory could hold a candle to him.

-30-