Bill Bolling's Big Week

Couple more bullets in the chamber for Bill Bolling this week:

- First off, he broke the tie on the Planned Parenthood amendment, which was a no-brainer but I'm sure will put the left into fits, something we can all smile about.

- The most important event of the week was, of course, HB 3202.  Bolling, while not outspoken, certainly made it known that there were deep flaws in the law.  Furthermore, its addition by subtraction because it was Bob McDonnell, along with Tim Kaine and Tom Davis and Bill Howell, that backed this so forcefully.  This could become a crucial issue going into a primary or convention, because so much of the Republican base is anti-tax this a brutal hit for McDonnell and can only help Bolling. 

- Lastly, there is stuff concerning how the Democrats in the state senate are mangling the budget.  The shell games and hole-plugging without any theory behind it is dangerous, and Bolling has been in the lead calling on them.  Much was made about Bolling ruling from the chair that the Dem budget was unconstitutional.  The Saslaw-led Democrats overruled him, but legislative services came out late this week and said that, yes the lieutenant governor had been correct in his assertion than any change in the allocation of money regarding the lottery and education was unconstitutional.

The Democrats in the Senate and the governor have been incredibly reckless this term in terms with the budget and how they are taking money from vital needs in the state to fund the governor's new spending initiatives, and then asking to raise taxes to fill the void.  Its ridiculous, and the LG has been out in front for all Republicans on this.  He's been picking up some valuable momentum this session.

Comments

[Central VA Conservative]

Great analysis. This week could prove to be the difference in 2009 nomination.

Elected officals and party leaders are very unhappy with McDonnell on the transportation decision. Besides taking credit for bringing it together, he assured everyone that it was constitutional. The unanimous Supreme Court opinion against him is a major setback for him politically.

[mytwocents]

Once again, excellent analysis. I agree with central va conservative. When all is said and done, the Virginia Supreme Court could have ended McDonnell's campaign for governor.
Howell, McDonnell, Kaine, and Tom Davis all got in the same boat and its now completely sunk. Not bad for Davis-Kaine since they will not be up for re-election. Terrible for Howell and McDonnell who were really the GOP point men getting support within the GA.
I am a huge fan of both McDonnell and Bolling but this completely unexpected developement concerning the constitutionality of 3202 has really sunk McDonnell in my opinion. How in the world did McDonnell let such shoddy legislation that was struck down by the ENTIRE court get through the GA? Bolling is not out of the woods in my opinion BUT he is not the chief lawyer in the state either.

Bolling has been a great leader since he was elected, but this year he has really come into his own. Bolling has done an amazing job with limited resources: holding Democrats accountable, molding the Senate Republicans into a cohesive unit and carrying the party banner high and proud. Seriously, what more could you ask for from a Lieutenant Governor.

[Real Central VA Conservative]

Chris:

In the interest of fairness, you may want to consider amending your post.
Bill Bolling Vocally Supported the Transportation Plan: “We have provided $3 billion in new funding for transportation construction, created innovative new tools to enable localities to better plan for growth and prevent sprawl and instituted performance and accountability measures to improve VDOT and its road-building operations.”- The Washington Times November 5, 2007

[Central VA Conservative]

Real me, I appreciate the effort to tie the transportation deal to Bolling, but it ain't happening. I don't think Chris ever said Bolling opposed it. Bolling consistently said over the last year that he wasn't a huge fan of the deal, especially the regional components, but it was all that could be agreed to given the dynamics. Also, the op-ed you site was basically a defense of the use of general fund revenues and bonds, which was the Democrat's chief objection.

McDonnell's problem is that he has been taking credit for pulling the plan together and gave the faulty legal advice that allowed so many members of the GA to support this flawed bill. You can post as many quotes as you want from Bolling, but you can't change those facts.

[Chris]

One wonders if there won't be some backlash against the AG by Republicans in the Assembly, especially conservatives who went out on a limb for this bill, that his legalistic cover was so faulty and now have exposed them to this.

[mytwocents]

I do think Bolling is not out of the woods but the major fault is with McDonnell who gave very poor legal advice to very conservative members of the GA and was one of the trifecta of head cheerleaders for the bill along with Howell and Kaine.

As for backlash within the GA, you bet their will be BIG TIME backlash against McDonnell with conservatives who may feel betrayed by fauly promises. Oh don't worry,this is constitutional. I don't think the backlash will stop with McDonnell, it will go straight to Howell who took McDonnell's poor advice. McDonnell's stock has taken a meteoric dive in the past 72 hrs.

[Isophorone]

Given how insignificant the LG job is said to be, Bolling has been pretty effective. We could have an "interesting" primary next year, to say the least!

[Stonewall Brigade]

For the people above who have written McDonnell's obituary, you are just wrong. The Coalition McD has assembled for the last 5 years is very strong. Take the geographic base in South Hampton Roads and his network he has in NOVA and the Valley he is still favored. The bigger problem for McD is if Obama wins and picks Kaine as AG then Bolling is the incumbent and is tough to beat.

[Southside Observer]

The LG has come out of this past week in an amazing position. Throught the session, Bolling has been a fighting force against the new Democratic majority in the Senate. His procedural move over the budget exposed the Democrats' lack of respect for our Constitution and his position on the transportation compromise is unimpeachable. The LG has had a good week and is looking great for 2009.

[Chris]

To be honest with you, I'm not sure how strong the AG is up here. A lot of his support was generated by his alliance with Tom Davis. Jeannemarie got beat by 10 points, a clear repudiation of his policies since Tom was really running that show. With Tom gone, things are different now.

Your right though, and I don't think anyone is writing him off. What I'm saying, at least, is the AG better be artful here because I bet there are a lot of pissed off delegates and senators from Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. Look what happended in those areas where Democrats ran against that plan. I supported it and I can't help but feel a little hoodwinked by how this all fell apart.

McDonnell's a great candidate, but this becomes a huge blight on his record and something he's going to have to figure out how to deal with.

[mytwocents]

Certainly no one is writing the AG's obituary but I think most of his support has virtually evaporated from both Central Va and the Valley almost instantaneously. Many of these delegates represent ultra conservative districts and went along with McDonnell because they took the AG at his word when he stated his belief in the Constitutionality of HB3202. To say the AG let these folks down with his Constitutional expertise would be an understatement.

This has to be possibly the biggest gaffe of all time by an AG with excuses apparently still being made.

[Real Central Va Conservative]

The problem with the GOP has been an inability to find a solution to increasing funds for transportation. Bolling supported the Transportation Plan last session. Yes, it was McDonnell's bag to shepard it through the legislature--to cobble together a coaltion to make it happen. McDonnell did what Bolling could not. He united the party. The glitches in the plan will be fixed, funding will be restored, and the man with the plan will maintain his aura of leadership that unites the party and accomplishes great things for the Commonwealth. Folks in NOVA and Tidewater know the one name that means transportation leadership, and that is McDonnell. Folks in the Valley and Central Virginia follow the McDonnell lead on social issues because he is solidly pro life witout exception unilike Bolling's position. Real men lead. Consultant driven men suckle on the teat of do nothing neutrality until they are drunk with the false promise of electoral victory.

[I don't believe this....]

This rhetoric is totally absurd. Bolling supported the plan as well. if you are going to blame the AG for the bill, you should also be hammering Bolling who was a vocal proponent of the measure!

I think that folks across Va. will remember that Bolling will just say anything or shift to any position in efforts to be on the "right" side of the issue. When the news is good - he's for it. When the news is bad - he's against it. Makes me sick.

This is why we can't afford to have Bill Bolling as our GOP Nominee.

[mytwocents]

Oh boy, yes McDonnell shepharded through this HB3202 and united conservatives around a "UNCONSTITUTIONAL" plan as the states top attorney. To say it hurts McDonnell is an understatement.

Is it fair that Bolling probably escapes, NO it is not but politics is usually very unfair and brutal. The fact is McDonnell was in charge of an unconstitutional plan and essentially betrayed many elected officials with his analysis. Bolling escapes because he was NOT in charge of determining the constitutionality of bills. That is simply not his job, it was McDonnell's and he failed miserably.

McDonnell was always very weak in the rural valley areas and cent va. because of his past problems with 2nd amendment issues and the NRA, this will not help him out here. Those two areas don't matter too much to McDonnell unless his coalitions in Tidewater and NOVA start falling apart. We shall see what happens.

[Phantom08]

The blind optimism of "real central va con" that this problem is going to be fixed easily is absurd.

The AG's horrific bill in whatever form it still exists is not going to be 'fixed' easily.

In case you didn't notice, the 'compromise' ended up costing us the VA State Senate, and the dems aren't going to let the problem get fixed without a bunch of new taxes.

Essentially, the AG has destroyed our party a little more and given the dems the perfect opportunity to send gas taxes through the roof and who the heck knows what else.

And the best you flunkies can do is try to bring the LG down with you. what a disgrace.

[Spank That Donkey]

Who's with the Trial Lawyers, and who isn't? That is what my decision will hinge on for Governor next year.

We got some real issues to address down here on the ranch...