Mr. Kaine's Travels

Virginians deserve to know where their governor is.

MARK SANFORD he's not. Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) isn't taking phantom hikes through the Appalachians. He's not jetting off to Argentina (as far as we know). Rather, Mr. Kaine's sin is a relatively minor omission: He's been less than forthright about disclosing his travels as Democratic National Committee chairman. The destinations are less exotic than South America (think Kansas City), which makes the lack of disclosure all the more puzzling.

When, after some hesitation, Mr. Kaine became chairman of the DNC in January, he vowed that his role as the Democratic Party's top cheerleader wouldn't interfere with his responsibilities to the Commonwealth. With the Virginia gubernatorial election -- the most-watched contest of the fall -- in his own back yard, Mr. Kaine argued that his new role was a natural fit. After all, he'd be working on behalf of the Democratic nominee no matter what his job title was.

But in fact it's a tough balancing act, and Mr. Kaine hasn't helped by being opaque about his whereabouts. His office discloses only public meetings and events related to his job as governor. With Mr. Kaine traveling regularly on DNC business, that leaves blocks of his schedule unaccounted for. Aides counter that Mr. Kaine, only a cellphone call away, is always ready to handle state business and often does so on DNC trips.

Mr. Kaine, who is usually open about his travels, told The Post's Anita Kumar, "If anyone wants to know where I am, all they have to do is ask." But when reporters from this newspaper did just that, filing requests to review Mr. Kaine's schedule, they were either denied or ignored. Mr. Kaine's office offers a slew of reasons, including security and privacy concerns, to explain why the governor must keep his travel records private. None are convincing. Only after media questioning did Mr. Kaine say that the DNC would reimburse Virginia taxpayers for his security on the trips; the governor's office says that was Mr. Kaine's intent the whole time.

While the line between Mr. Kaine's two jobs has blurred at times, there's no evidence that Mr. Kaine, always a hard worker, has neglected his duties as governor. Even Mr. Kaine's critics admit as much. However, in juggling two high-profile, time-consuming jobs, Mr. Kaine should strive to be as transparent as possible. Virginians deserve to know whether their governor is in Richmond or Miami Beach, Danville or Dallas.