idk which brogressive rumor mill you got that from (imma guess intercept) but that’s not accurate.

This is what he did on the issue of deregulating regional (NOT BIG) banks:

Kaine (D-Va.) signed a bipartisan letter Monday urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to “carefully tailor its rulemaking” regarding community banks and credit unions so as not to “unduly burden” these institutions with regulations aimed at commercial banks. At issue are compliance rules under the post-recession banking law known as Dodd-Frank.

Kaine was also one of four senators to sign a second letter Monday on behalf of regional banks seeking relief from a daily reporting requirement of liquidity. Activists said the request to Federal Reserve Chair Janet L. Yellen and other officials to lengthen the time between reporting would allow some very large banks too much leeway. Liquidity can be a measure of a bank’s health and risk-taking. 

There are fair criticisms to his position, one is seen above and more on the article linked, but it’s a stretch to say he’s for deregulation of big banks. Here’s what he said on regulating big banks:

“People are going to say whatever they want, but I’m strongly for the regulation of the financial industry,” Kaine said.

“It’s important you don’t treat every financial institution the same,” he said. “It wasn’t credit unions that tanked the economy, it wasn’t local community banks that tanked the economy, generally wasn’t regional banks that did things that tanked the economy.”

Kaine spokeswoman Amy Dudley said Kaine is “a strong supporter of Dodd-Frank.” He backed the proposed changes, she said, as a way to draw distinctions between types of banks and to train federal oversight where it is most needed.

Kaine “believes it’s important that the rules are tailored to the character of individual institutions so that we don’t accidentally choke off capital access to the families and small businesses in our communities,” Dudley said. “The toughest regulation should be on the biggest and riskiest institutions. Credit unions, community banks and regional banks need to be carefully regulated, but the nature of the regulation can be different to ensure scarce resources are efficiently spent allowing regulators to focus on the bad actors.”

Dodd-Frank allows the CFPB to grant some reporting and compliance exemptions.

Also friendly reminder that wasn’t it Bernie Sanders during the debates said to support credit unions and community banks over big Wall Street banks, and what Tim Kaine is advocating for here is in line with that. 

85% of progressives who supported Bernie Sanders already supported Hillary even before he endorsed Hillary, her VP pick, no matter who it was, wouldn’t move more towards the dem ticket. She could have picked Elizabeth Warren, my first choice to be her VP, and progressives will still have issues with that pick.

Why she picked Tim Kaine? simple, she wants someone who can be President on Day One. Among all the contenders, he is the most experienced in governing and most well versed in foreign policy and national security. He’s a popular senator from a battleground state. A politician who proved democrats can make inroads in conservative southern states. 

More importantly, his senate seat won’t be replaced by a republican governor, which was the biggest issue going against Sherrod Brown, Cory Booker and Liz Warren.

He was also picked for his strong liberal and progressive record and for getting proven results, not just spew platitudes. Kaine’s ratings from key progressive groups: Brady Campaign 100%; Human Rights Campaign 100%; Planned Parenthood 100%; AFL CIO 96%; NAACP 96% 

He’s also the original sponsor of the Equality Act, co sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act, against death penalty, signed the Dream Act, supports DACA & DAPA and comprehensive immigration reform.

He took on the NRA in a gun state, the tobacco lobby in the tobacco state, fought the coal lobby on climate change and won on all three accounts. So much for a corporatist. 

He has a strong record on education (increased pre-K by 40 percent in his state) and healthcare (supported ACA) and has good relationship with his constituents, esp among African Americans and Latinos. As a civil rights lawyer he fought against housing discrimination that targeted minorities, he was a strong advocate for black students in Richmond Law, he was the first senator who delivered an immigration speech on the senate floor in full spanish, he pushed back against Arizona’s SB1070 immigration law when was DNC Chair. 

Heck, he’s not my first choice or even second choice for VP either. But there’s plenty to like about Tim Kaine and I see why he is picked, even if he’s not the favorite choice for VP. 

When Trump-Pence is the alternative, picking Tim Kaine is one of the smartest decisions Clinton has made. She picked a VP that can help her govern the country, not just someone to help her appease the base. 

And really, if him being boring or not passing some disingenuous progressive purity test that narrowly focused on Big Banks and Free Trade is what holding back independents or progressives, especially after we’ve just seen the fearmongering apocalyptic shit show that was the GOP convention, that’s putting their privilege and “ideological” tantrums over what’s at stake in the future of our country and letting their egos gamble with the fates of the marginalized and minorities.