Candidate For Governor of Va. Talks About His Faith

Monday's Washington Post reported on the use of religion in his campaign by Timothy M. Kaine, Virginia's Lieutenant Governor, who is trying to become the state's first Catholic governor. "I'm a person of faith, and here's who I am, and you're entitled to know who I am because you ought to know about me, what's important to me," Kaine said in a recent interview in which he talked in depth about the influence of his religion on his life. "That'll give you a yardstick for judging my actions." Kaine is trying to signal that talking about his religious life doesn't mean that he represents a conservative perspective. This has created some delicate political challenges for him on two major issues: capital punishment and abortion. On both he has indicated a willingness to accept the legal status quo even though it conflicts with his religious convictions.