Don’t know for sure what is happening right now, but word is the Dems are asking for reconsideration on everything.  They may be pulling off the deal, or it may just be the procedural requirement to adopt the new deal language, I don’t know yet, but I am sure we will find out soon.

As for the comments of Mike Der Manouel, I understand Assemblyman Villines concern.  It is extraordinarily difficult to be a Republican Leader under these circumstances.  I feel for both Cogdill and Villines, both of whom I like and respect.  This deal, however, is a game of chicken.  The two cars are racing toward each other, and the winner will be the one with the most nerves.  The Dems will not let the state go bankrupt, they can’t.  Their constituency groups cannot afford what will happen if all the union contracts are reopened, and deals negotiated.  The Dems have a lot more to lose than the Reps if things go bad.

That being said, no one is reinforcing the "stand tough" stance for those leaders.  They are walking into this gunfight (to mix my metaphors) with a sling shot.  Even Republican budget staff is saying they have no choice but to raise taxes.  I know, I have seen it, I have been there.  It takes a lot of "thinking outside the box" to resolve these problems and stand tough.  The Republican Leaders are wrong to do what they have done, but they know it, and I am sure it is killing them.

The thing to do is to steel them up, steel up the caucuses.  The deal is not done yet.  They need to not swerve, they need to know that David beat Goliath with a sling shot.  This can be done, but it won’t be easy, and the heat will only get hotter.  Let’s hope the deal is collapsing.  The state will not go bankrupt, I can guarantee it, but the Reps have to be willing to let that happen.  When the Dems are convinced that the Reps will drive their car straight into whatever might happen, they will sober up, sit down, and get real about state government reductions.  It can be done.  It will just take nerves of steel.  Truth is, no Republican leader (except for perhaps Brulte in the 03-04 budget debate, when he threatened to recall any Republican who voted for a tax increase) has had such nerves, but we will see.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 15th, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.