Kaine Takes Reins With a Nod To History and Bipartisanship

In Richmond, the gleaming white Capitol that Jefferson designed is shrouded in scaffolding as workers perform the most delicate and comprehensive renovation of the landmark building in a century. That work, to be finished by next year, forced Kaine's inauguration to be moved 52 miles southeast to Williamsburg.

Here, Kaine's inaugural committee transformed what is billed as the nation's largest living history museum into the site of a modern-day political pageant beamed via satellite trucks to a statewide television audience.

"Let us remember that civility is not a sign of weakness," Kaine said to close his speech, "that cooperation and compromise are necessary for progress and for the sensible solutions we can all embrace to keep the promise of Virginia strong. Under God's hand, we have thrived. If we stay faithful to our history, we will succeed."

Kaine was elected Nov. 8, defeating Republican Jerry W. Kilgore. On Monday, the governor will deliver a speech to the General Assembly in which he probably will detail how he wants to fix the state's congested transportation network. He did not reveal anything about those plans in his inaugural speech, saying only that a "lack of coordination and will has us stuck. . . . Let it not be fear and politics that leave us stranded."

Saturday was a day for pomp, not policy. "It was more poetry than prose," University of Virginia Prof. Larry J. Sabato said of Kaine's speech.

Virginia lawmakers, who have begun the 2006 legislative session in Richmond, praised Kaine for using the speech to reach out to both political parties.

"I thought he was very conciliatory," said Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (R-Fairfax). "I was pleased to hear that."

Davis's husband, U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.), called the speech moving because it evoked the special day in Virginia's history. "I've been to several of these now; his was more soaring than what we've seen from his predecessors."

Del. Robert H. Brink (D-Arlington) said Kaine's speech "set exactly the right tone for what we need to do for the next four years for the commonwealth."

And former governor Charles S. Robb (D) said Kaine "hit all the right notes. He laid out a challenging agenda for the commonwealth and for himself. I would hope for and encourage the kind of bipartisan cooperation he's going to need to accomplish his goals."

Del. Harvey B. Morgan (R-Gloucester) said the speech "was very uplifting, made in the spirit of reaching out to everybody."

Kaine's father-in-law, former governor A. Linwood Holton Jr. (R), and former governors Allen, Robb, James S. Gilmore III (R) and Warner all attended the ceremony.