I guess Joe Blackburn forgot that his friend Bill Janis who endorsed him in the Primary also "took a walk" on the tax increase in 2004. Selective memory I see - or perhaps Balckburn will send the same letter to Janis as well??? Doubt it - it wouldn't be politically expedient.

Pardon my inexperience and ignorance in this matter, but what affect will a new speaker have on things? It seems that the House has been rather obstructionist to date. Will they become more obstructionist? Do Republicans really think that is what the citizens of Virginia want?

Thanks for your comment. The Speaker of the House has tremendous control over how that chamber operates. The speaker dictates what legislation will be considered and is the chief liason to the the governor and Senate leaders.

While your assertion the House has been "obstructionist" is debatable, it's clear the chamber has had past disagreements with the Senate and the state's current and former Democratic governors.

The House generally has had a reputation for being more conservative. But some conservatives say the current speaker, Bill Howell, has been too willing to cave into demands by Democrats and moderate Republicans to raise taxes. Case in point, was last year's plan to raise $1 billion annually to build more roads. Because Howell helped push through the compromise, conservatives say he betrayed the party's anti-tax base.

Conservative argue Republicans would have performed better in this year's elections had they not agreed to the transportation plan, which included new taxes in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia and controversial fees on bad drivers.

Most expect Howell - who is very conservative on most issues - to survive the challenge from the right. But if he were to be replaced, the House would likely become more hostile toward working with the Senate and governor.

As for what the citizens of Virginia prefer, it depends on who you ask. Some say House Republicans need to become more moderate if they want to keep their majority past the 2009 elections because the state is trending Democratic. Others argue Republicans needs to revert back to their core principles, including not raising taxes, to energize the GOP base and stave off further loses at the polls.

Republicans proposed and passed the hated abuser fees because they thought they could get away with it and not get hit for a "tax increase". They did it in secret and then screamed it was the Dem Governor's fault. The Dems wanted a 1 cent per gallon tax increase to pay for roads. Instead we got the abuser fees and no road assistance. Repubs got what they deserved, but not as much as they will in the 08 nat'l elections and then state 09.

Joe Blackburn would be a good example of why Virginia is trending blue.
Governor signs bill despite campaign promises; Governor sees higher approval ratings post tax increase and is now front runner in the senate race, and republicans lose VA Senate in '07. The obvious answer? Because they didn't prevent Mr. Front runner in the Senate race from raising taxes, they lost in '07.
Right.
With that kind of thinking, democrats might not even have to campaign in 09 to win the house.

Public services cost money, tax money. Balancing the need for services against the need to have sufficient tax revenues is the responsibility of our elected officials. The Republican focus on tax cuts has left Virginia in a situation not consistent with our education and transportation needs and our responsibility to those among us most in need of social services. For Virginia to remain among the leading states, we must recognize and step up to our responsibilities.

The massive influx of yankees is finally starting to improve the gene pool in Virginia.

Wasn't it the Speaker who said newcomers to the state don't have the same values as him? Was he "speaking" for all of the delegates when he said this? He makes Virginia sound like one big high-school clique that wants to keep outsiders out.