Let’s keep the champagne on ice, please

I know it’s been a bad few years for the Republican Party of Virginia (though much of it was their own doing).  I also know that like the RPV, the right-side of the Virginia blogosphere has had rough times.  Thus, I can understand why Bearing Drift, Crystal Clear Conservative, Mason Conservative, and SWAC Girl are so quick to exult the demise of Tim Kaine’s tax-hike plan (although JR @ BD is more circumspect than the other three).

Now, I want to be careful here because I tend to be the skunk at very garden party, and I can’t seem to express disagreement with my fellow bloggers without offending them.  Still, I just get the feeling there’s more to this then Kaine’s plan hitting the rocks.  After all, he has repeatedly stated he’ll be happy to sign something like the Senate Democats’ tax-hike plan if it were to reach his desk.  That tells me that real target here isn’t Kaine’s trial balloon, but what Majority Leader Saslaw is cooking up.

Let’s face it; no one will remember Kaine’s nonsensical plan if Saslaw manages to get his tax hike through the House.  MSM will shower Kaine with praise for “flexibility” in “reaching out to Saslaw,” while the GOP takes it on the chin for being “stubborn.”

Even if Howell can manage to hold his caucus together and stuff Saslaw, he (Howell) has his own plans, which I have to believe include bringing back a “fixed” version of HB3202.

Fact is, we’re not fighting one tax increase here; we’re fighting at least three, and we’re not out of the woods yet – not by a long shot.