WSJ's Rebellious Virginia Republicans

Those poor Wall Street Journal editors (now there's an oxymoron)--they didn't get the memo from Northern Virginia's Republicans.

Today, the Journal, in an editorial labelled "Virginia's Tax Rebellion," lauded "a gang of conservative GOP members" in the Virginia General Assembly for "foiling" Democratic Governor Kaine's plan to finance much needed transportation improvements in the state.

The Curmudgeon has no doubt that the Journal's pampered, chauffered editors have never had to get around Northern Virginia in rush hour traffic--or even Saturday shopping traffic for that matter. They, of course, could care less whether we Virginians sit in perpetual gridlock.

The same evidently goes for Virginia's rural GOP gang.

But what the WSJ gangsta's didn't hear about was that the rest of Virginia's Republicans--especially the vulnerable ones in burgeoning Prince William and Loudon Counties--are rebelling against the rebellers. Yep, these Republicans are scrambling (finally) to come up with their own plan to raise money from local taxpayers to fund regional transit improvements.

That's right, after hearing from angry constituents fed up with the foot dragging, those GOP delegates from the counties with the worst traffic congestion are realizing that if they don't put up, they'll be put out in the next election.

Guess what, Wall Street Journal: one way or the other, we Virginians are going to get what we need. Either your gang of Republican obstructors will relent and come up with a decent compromise, or the Democrats will simply take over.

If you're wondering which way it will go, check out the Virginia Senate, where GOP members have suddenly become much more moderate. And remember the right wing effort--also lauded by the Journal--to punish those Republicans moderates who sided with Governor Warner for sensible tax increases to finance the government two years ago? A total failure.

Memo to WSJ: Virginians don't want your brand of do-nothing credit card Republicanism to protect the pockets of a few rich citizens. We want roads, and we believe in responsibly financing them.