After several attempts to get the votes to get the votes to confirm Maldonado, all of which failed — the first motion to confirm failed. Astonishingly EVERY Republican voted for him, except Chuck DeVore who laid off, and Danny Gilmore who is apparently home in his district, ill (but who is now driving up to the Capitol to vote FOR the confirmation).
Republicans made a request to reconsider (reserving the right to bring it up for another vote). Democrats counted with a motion, which passed, to bring up the reconsideration vote immediately. This caused the Republicans to call a Caucus to discuss the matter.
As far as I am concerned, Republicans should be saying, behind close doors, "This is perfect! We don’t like or want Maldonado, but we’ve shown our GOP solidarity — and we don’t have to have Maldonado as Lt. Governor. In fact, the Democrats now look like the partisans."
Republicans should just lay down at this point, let the Democrats defeat the motion for reconsideration, and everything can let Maldonado that this is his "thank you" for blackmailing the legislature last year to put his self-serving open primary measure on the ballot.
I "get it" that there is a good opportunity for my friend Sam Blakeslee to run in a special election for Maldonado’s seat. But the matter of principle at stake here — which is the profound rewarding of terrible behavior, is the more important issue.