Kaine Heads to West Virginia

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) will be the keynote speaker at Saturday's West Virginia Democratic Party Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner.

The state party is touting Kaine as a national co-chairman of Sen.Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

West Virginia is widely expected to be a GOP stronghold this year, but Kaine has a good relationship with the state's Democratic governor, Joe Manchin. In mid August, Manchin predicted Obama would select Kaine as his running mate.

"I think this country will be blessed if it happens and Barack will have a strong, strong ticket," Manchin said on Aug. 20, according to Charleston's WSAT television station. "I'm truly rooting hard for Tim."

Three days later, Obama announced that Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) would be his running mate.