I’m not sure whether this is genuine or mere posturing for future negotiations, but the Democrats won’t support HB6055, which means it has a good chance of failing tomorrow.
The news comes from J.R. at Bearing Drift, with whom I’ve had disagreements on this in the past - and judging from the tone of his post, I still have them.
As for Delegate Hamilton, well, it’s abundantly clear that he still doesn’t get it. More troubling, however, is how the letter was sent – via Bill Howell (I mysteriously ended up on his mailing list). In other words, Howell has made it abundantly clear that HB6055 is has the stamp of the Speaker on it.
What happens over the next few days will likely determine the outcome of next year’s elections (and perhaps even this year’s). if Howell manages to squeak HB6055 through – or worse, uses it to make a Grand Bargain with Saslaw and Kaine – then the Republican Party of Virginia will have the tax-hiking stain on it for at least the next two years. That is all but certain to doom Bob McDonnell, and could even take down Bill Bolling if he’s not careful. Meanwhile, the utter demoralization in the Republican base will make it nearly impossible for Gilmore to catch Warner, and might even cost McCain the state’s thirteen electoral votes.
So I ask the Republican Delegates (and Senators) in Richmond: Is making Bill Howell happy really worth President Obama and Governor Deeds/Moran?
Cross-posted to the right-wing liberal
