The man we affectionately (well, not really) call "Sideshow Bob" - Del. Bob Marshall (R-Mars) - has lost another round. This time, "Sideshow Bob" wanted to deep-six the House of Delegates Republican "leadership" team (I put "leadership" in quotes because, c'mon, you call THAT leadership?!?) but in the end the team was re-elected. By acclamation. According to the Free Lance-Star:
Marshall's "no confidence" resolution also listed other reasons, such as not allowing enough caucus input into HB 3202, the transportation bill that both houses approved this past session, and failing in a variety of ways to effectively limit taxes and spending.Marshall's move reflects concern from Republican conservatives that their leadership--in both the House and the Senate--is losing legislative seats because it is not conservative enough. Republicans lost control of the state Senate in the recent legislative elections, and there's also a move afoot from conservative Republican senators to replace their caucus leadership.
Drats, foiled again! Just like on that immigration panel they kept "Sideshow Bob" from joining. It would be sad if it weren't so...sad? funny? absurd? As the real "Sideshow Bob" says, "No children have ever meddled with the Republican Party and lived to tell about it," Now, what this quote has to do with anything, I don't know exactly, but somehow it seems appropriate to me right now.
P.S. Only in "Sideshow Bob" Marshall's bizarre world could Bill Howell not be considered "conservative" enough. What next, "Sideshow Bob," does Dick Cheney secretly worship a Ted Kennedy/Hillary two-headed pagan god in his office?
P.P.S. Perhaps this is a more relevant "Sideshow Bob" quote:
Because you need me, [Virginia]. Your guilty conscience may force you to vote Democratic, but deep down inside you secretly long for a cold-hearted Republican to lower taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king.
Yes, rule us like a king, "Sideshow Bob," that's what we REALLY want! Or maybe an absolute theocratic dictator, dispensing justice as only "Wrathful Bob" can! Bwahahahahahahahahaha!
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said House Republicans have little incentive to work with Senate Democrats because if they are seen as moderates, they run the risk of being challenged by more conservative Republicans in primaries during the next election. Farnsworth predicts that the Senate and House will behave much as they did in previous years despite the change in power."The future of the Virginia legislature looks like the past," he said. "All signs point to continued gridlock in Richmond."
In other words, it's very possible that once again it will be the Senate Democrats and Republicans, the House Democrats, and Gov. Kaine on one side, with only one obstacle to moving Virginia forward -- the flat-earth House Republicans. A few possible areas of cooperation, according to the Post article, include "business-friendly proposals, house overcrowding and such environmental measures as cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay." We'll see.
business-friendly proposals, house overcrowding and such environmental measures as cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay.
I'll drink to those commonsense moderate proposals
and day :-)
Our friends in Maryland are dealing with the dark side of one party rule as we speak. Lowell I am curious to hear your thoughts about the reliance on the sales tax.
Also lobbyists don't care about party affliation which hopefully as R and D progressives we can work together to fix
"The group agreed to drop a House plan to increase the tax on hotel stays from 5 percent to 7.5 percent. Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Prince George's), chairman of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, said raising the tax would send a negative message to hotels planning to open at the National Harbor project in his county."
Pathetic
Seriously, are they for real? Yeah, not conservative ENOUGH, that has to be it. NO way it could be the other way around, right?
Man, who is advising these people? Whoever it is, we have to make sure he keeps his/her job.
I think both of these views are ridiculous... just some food for thought
Personally, I think it's just the usual base whining. It seems like no matter what you do the base is always pissed. If you're out, they're mad at being out, and when you're in, they're mad at you for not kissing the ground they walk on.
Take this gem:
"Allowing government spending to increase at new record levels of spending without making road and transit improvements a priority, and instead providing for tax increases by appointed governmental agencies as provided in HB 3202".
"Allowing government spending to increase at new records levels of spending"?
A delegate who could express his ideas on paper would write "Government spending increased to record levels. Roads and transit improvements were not made a priority, and appointed - not elected - government agencies were given authority to levy taxes".
It goes on and on. Bob Marshall needs to enroll in a remedial English course. Mr. Marshall: you recently learned you are a fierce opponent of illegal immigration. But I know first generation immigrants with a better command of English than you!