Kaine and Howell: "Their fates have become interlinked"

By: Lowell
Published On: 7/20/2007 7:55:14 AM

I've got to say, the concept that the fates of Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine and Republican House Speaker Bill Howell would "become interlinked," as VCU public policy professor Robert D. Holsworth says in today's Washington Post, simply boggles my mind.  Maybe this explains it, from the same article:

One longtime lobbyist, who asked not to be identified because he works closely with the governor and speaker, said Kaine and Howell have let the criticism of the fees go unanswered for too long.

"They have driven themselves into a ditch," the lobbyist said. "And when people find themselves in a bunker, they tend to hold hands. People are circling the wagons here, and you know what? [Kaine and Howell] are going to lose."

I just don't get it.  First, a bad policy to begin with turns into a firestorm of criticism.  As of this morning, there are over 140,000 signatures on the main anti-abuser-fee petition, and I hear that the petition's author, Bryan Ault, is going to be on the Today Show and possibly other TV stations.  This issue, far from dying down, appears to be heating up!

Second, Democratic candidates this year plan to continue pounding Republicans on the issue. According to House Democratic Caucus Chairman Del. Brian Moran, "This was an idea cooked up by Republicans, embraced by the Republican leadership, so I would encourage my Democratic colleagues to run on this as an issue, despite what the governor says."  Wow.

Finally, lawyers are pretty much drooling to challenge these fees in court. According to one attorney (Michael S. Davis) quoted in the Post article, "As soon as we get the case, we are going to pull the trigger."

So where does this leave things at this point? I talked to a bunch of Democrats yesterday, and I'd characterize the reaction to Gov. Kaine's news conference as a combination of furious (one Democrat used the word "apoplectic"), dismayed, puzzled, clueless, and exasperated.  Also, blindsided - none of the Democrats I communicated with yesterday had heard a word from the Governor's office prior to his press conference.  And they weren't happy about it, that's for sure.

Apparently, as the line in Cool Hand Luke goes, "what we have here is a failure to communicate."  What we also may have is a divergence of interests between Democratic candidates running for election this year and Gov. How this will play out in coming months is anyone's guess, but we may have a hint.  According to the Post article, "Even as Kaine defended the fees, Democratic leaders were vowing to make them an issue to win seats in the Republican-controlled House and Senate in the Nov. 6 election."  Meanwhile, on the Republican side, we've got top leaders defending a measure that is wildly unpopular among anti-tax conservatives.  What next, the Club for Growth attacking Bill Howell?  Stranger things have happened in politics.  No pun  on the Michael Vick case, but these truly are the "dog days" of summer...or maybe the "summer of our discontent?"

Comments



Programming note (Lowell - 7/20/2007 8:01:07 AM)
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Brian J. Moran will join Mark Plotkin on ?The Politics Program? on WTOP (1500 AM and 107.7 FM) this Friday (7/20) at 12:30PM. He will discuss his opposition to the recently enacted ?abusive driver fees? passed by the Virginia General Assembly.


Kaine and Howell Together (Gordie - 7/20/2007 8:39:47 AM)
does not surprise me one bit, after some of the stories I have heard.
Kaine used alot of poitical capital to persuade Democrats who were against the fees portion to get them to vote yes.
From what I heard "Tom Delay" strong arm tactics were used to get "Yes" votes.


Brian Done Good! (elevandoski - 7/20/2007 5:25:53 PM)
I listened to it and think Brian did just grand!  They mentioned twice the petition - perhaps good for a few more thousand signatures!


Virginians "should vote accordingly." (Lowell - 7/20/2007 8:57:39 AM)
The Roanoke Times has a strongly worded editorial this morning on the abuser fees, arguing that "lawmakers need a full session to untangle the road-funding mess they've created."  The editorial concludes:

Without a special session this year, Virginia drivers will have to be mindful to obey all traffic laws or risk onerous -- for some, ruinous -- levies. And incumbents will have to worry about their seats. Every General Assembly seat is up for election in November. Virginians disgusted with legislative shenanigans should vote accordingly.

I think the Roanoke Times is onto something there!



Dems (leftofcenter - 7/20/2007 9:25:53 AM)
can use this to their advantage for sure. The dems that voted for it will have to dig themselves out of the hole they dug. A great percentage of legislators are running unopposed anyway.


Point taken (Dianne - 7/20/2007 9:28:42 AM)
We voted for our legislators to represent our wants and needs in the General Assembly.  They have failed us --they obfuscated the facts (like a used are salesman) to the electorate and they are now pointing fingers at one another and making lame excuses.  I didn't vote for that behavior  and I won't come November.


Correction: like a used car salesman (Dianne - 7/20/2007 9:29:38 AM)


Oh (leftofcenter - 7/20/2007 9:56:41 AM)
I'm staying home in November also. No money, no work no nothing for my two legislators-both running unopposed. Who allowed their arms to be twisted against the will of the people.
Damn straight.


This is My early post (Gordie - 7/20/2007 12:11:00 PM)
Kaine and Howell Together (0.00 / 0) 
does not surprise me one bit, after some of the stories I have heard.
Kaine used alot of poitical capital to persuade Democrats who were against the fees portion to get them to vote yes.
From what I heard "Tom Delay" strong arm tactics were used to get "Yes" votes.

Look up the voting records of all Demos. Check who was voting "NO" then changed to "YES".

I ask what would you do if someone threatened to take away your political future? I say be easy on those who voted YES after Republican style arm twisting and start email the office that did this.



Revenue or Safety Issue? (Matt H - 7/20/2007 9:14:56 AM)
My consternation comes from the gutlessness of our leaders.  If it's revenue they need, have the guts to raise taxes in an equitable manner.  If they want to improve the safety of our roads, then have the guts to take traffic offenders' licenses away.  Their lack of clarity is so frustrating.

We get what we pay for and if taxes must be raised for a better standard of living (in areas that we can't improve our lives individually), please, please, please raise my taxes.

Safer road are also a worthy aim.  The fewer jerks that there are on the road, the faster and safer the road will become for all us.  Fine won't deter the rich, and unfairly punish the poor.  Taking away their driving privileges will deter everyone equally.



the (leftofcenter - 7/20/2007 9:20:23 AM)
message should be this is a repug thing. All democratic candidates need to keep hammering this over and over. At every rally, picnic, parade. Everywhere, 24/7. Kaine needs to just step back and not be standing up with Howell on a regular basis. He's said his piece, he's infuriated HIS base and now he needs to step back. and call a special session. We see now his pride has gotten in the way and he's in a corner and refuses to fix this mess. The worst thing he keps repeating is this thing is to get bad drivers off the road. We all know it is to raise money. He must think we are all pretty stupid.


Kaine Steals Morgan Griffith's Campaign Slogan (oldsoldier - 7/20/2007 10:11:01 AM)
Apparently, no one is watching Tim's back for him. Why else would he sign on to the successor of Jim "The Destroyer" Gilmore's "No Car Tax" with Morgan Griffith's "No Gas Tax"?


I'm going to give Governor Kaine the benefit of the doubt one more time (Silence Dogood - 7/20/2007 11:02:08 AM)
And hope that he's throwing a drowning Republican House an anchor disguised as a life jacket.  On the one hand, it already took, what, two special sessions this year to come up with any sort of transportation plan at all?  And that's on top of 2006 when they didn't get anything done.  The House GOP doesn't deserve a third bite at this particular apples; this was the best they could do in two years, and they deserve to be pilloried for it.  And besides, it's not like the Republicans are going to show up in Richmond for a special session and vote for an increase to the gasoline tax to offset the $65 million they're going to lose for transportation.  And since they'll all win re-election for appeasing the voters they pissed off to begin with, what it all means, ultimately, is that Governor Kaine will not see a transportation plan for the rest of his term; the GOP will wait until they can do it with a Republican governor in 2009.

And finally, Brian Moran is right.  This is a critical issue for the November elections, it's going to drive a lot of people to the polls to vote against their republican incumbent, and if that's the case, why should we save their bacon by agreeing to a special session?

I'm hoping against hope that Kaine's going to give us a wink and change his tune next January after Democrats have picked up seats in the House and Senate and we can finally get a workable plan in place for fixing our roads.  I hope he's brilliant, but I'm worried he might just be misguided.



After More Study (Gordie - 7/20/2007 5:07:50 PM)
Kaine's actions on the abuser fee may just be political genius. Throwing a life jacket with an anchor may be exactly what happened, when he went along with the GOP crazy scheme.
  I take back my earlier comments.