WILLIAMSBURG - With the man he hopes to replace leading the cheers, Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine told a boisterous rally Saturday that the 2005 campaign amounts to a debate between Democratic candidates who supported more funding for education, public safety and health care last year and Republican candidates who opposed it.

The Democratic nominee for governor told supporters gathered in a Williamsburg park that he will eagerly promote his support for tax increases that generated that funding and will cast Republican nominee Jerry Kilgore as an obstructionist who wants to pass tough decisions off to voters. "The past is prologue," Kaine said. "What we've done in the past is the best indication of what we'll do in the future."

The rally marked the first joint appearance by the Democratic statewide ticket, which includes lieutenant governor candidate Leslie Byrne of Fairfax County and attorney general candidate Creigh Deeds of Bath County. It also was the first major campaign event of the season for former Del. Richard Cranwell of Vinton, who became the state Democratic Party chairman on Saturday.

That group shared the stage with Gov. Mark Warner, who cast the election as a choice between "who wants to take us forward and who wants to take us back."

Warner has earned praise from Democrats and scorn from anti-tax Republicans for forging a bipartisan agreement last year on a package of tax increases that will generate $1.4 billion in the current two-year budget cycle. Even though the state's economy is generating greater-than-expected revenue growth, Warner still insists the tax package - which also included some tax cuts - was needed to adequately fund essential state services and preserve the state's perfect bond rating.

Warner tacitly chided the Republican ticket headed by Kilgore for opposing the tax legislation, then staking out tough stands on public safety issues.

"I always think it's remarkable that some folks on the other side talk tough about supporting our sheriffs, state troopers and police until it actually comes time to fund them in terms of their equipment and their pay," Warner said. "We've made those commitments."

Kaine, in one of his more fiery speeches, said the Republican candidates "fought against education spending, fought against spending to make sure our state troopers weren't on food stamps."

He mocked Kilgore for demanding a referendum on the tax increases, saying the former attorney general "does not know how to lead this commonwealth."

"That is a clear choice, folks, " Kaine said. "We cannot let a ticket of progress be defeated by a ticket that wants to tear down and move back the accomplishments of the Warner administration that we have all worked so hard to maintain and promote."

Shawn Smith, the executive director of the state Republican Party, dismissed the Democratic attacks and said the ticket headed by Kaine "is out of the mainstream and out of touch with Virginia."

Smith said the Republican ticket of Kilgore, lieutenant governor candidate Bill Bolling and attorney general candidate Bob McDonnell "reflects the values and priorities of the majority of Virginians."