Email from Senator Tim Kaine: I'm with Hillary

Don --

In 2006, when I was serving as Governor of Virginia, I told my friend, then-Senator Barack Obama, that I would support him if he ran for president in 2008. I made my decision early because I figured that the sooner I started helping, the more helpful I would be. It was an historic effort that broke barriers and changed politics forever.

If Hillary Clinton decides to run for president in 2016, I know that she can achieve all that and more. The best thing for our country – our growing, diverse, dynamic, innovative country – is for us to do all we can to help Hillary Clinton get elected as our 45th President. I'll be starting my fifth year in the Senate on Inauguration Day 2017, and she's the partner I know I'll want to be working with in the White House on all fronts.

But we can't just cross our fingers and hope that she runs. There is too much at stake for that. Together, with one voice, we need to send a clear and unmistakable message that America is ready for Hillary.

Over the years, we have been enormously proud of – and awed by – Hillary's accomplishments. She has accumulated wisdom and backbone in dealing with one tough issue after the next, under the harsh glare of the public spotlight, with an amazing degree of grace.

But no one has ever broken what Hillary once referred to as the "highest, hardest glass ceiling." And we're going to confront some enormous challenges going forward.

Last year, my U.S. Senate campaign was the target of more outside spending from secret money groups than any other in the country. But with a real grassroots effort – built one person at a time – folks came together, took them on, and won.

That's precisely why this movement is so important, and why our work must begin right now.

Hillary had to give up her entire political infrastructure when she became Secretary of State. If we work together, we can build her a coalition of dedicated activists and those entirely new to the political process; we can motivate people to participate in the critical 2014 elections, and in 2016, we can finally shatter the glass ceiling. But we all need to do our part.

Thanks for your help,

Tim