“Saslaw-crats”

By Norman Leahy | Sunday, March 2nd, 2008 | Catch-All

Sunday mornings bring with them many things, among the most notable being the chance to linger over the Sunday paper. But rarely does the paper bring with it the frisson that comes from reading today’s Jeff Schapiro offering on the travails of Democrats in power. After years of watching Republicans tear themselves apart over matters great and small, it’s now the Democrats turn. And what a wonderful interlude it will be.

Jeff brings us to a place few conservatives have ever been, or will likely ever be — Gov. Kaine’s breakfast with Democratic legislators. The tableau is simply magical:

Seated in the dining room of the Executive Mansion, a venue adorned with a portrait of Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen for which our state is named, Tim Kaine — over breakfast no less — used language that was anything but virginal.

This past Wednesday, Governor Nice-Guy apparently left no doubt with General Assembly Democratic leaders that he is furious over the Senate defeat of his tax breaks for homeowners because of defections by Finance Committee boss Chuck Colgan of Prince William and Phillip Puckett of Russell.

Foul language? From a former missionary? Well, sure. Even the goodiest of two shoes has limits. And in the case of legislators, as a species, it is remarkable that Kaine, or any governor for that matter, is able to avoid daily, saturation bombing levels of expletives. But in this case, His Excellency is coming to grips with something that Democrats in general have not had to face in some years: Factionalism. As Schapiro notes:

But over scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, Kaine’s primary concern was dissent among Democrats. Many of the dozen or so around the long, highly polished table seemed to trace the dilemma to another guest: Dick Saslaw of Fairfax, the restless leader of the restive Senate majority.

Del. Lionell Spruill of Chesapeake tore into Saslaw for threatening to block a clampdown on payday lenders as perceived payback for their thousands in contributions to a Saslaw-controlled campaign fund.

Spruill, for whom restrictions on the high-cost instant-loan industry are a non-negotiable demand, accused Saslaw of behaving like a king. So agitated was Spruill that Kaine literally called “time out.”

Time outs…the classic cure for the terrible twos and for entrenched pols. I wonder if Kaine’s breakfast guests also lost their “Barney” viewing privileges for the day?

And speaking of Barney…or more accurately, Barnie (Day), another spat is underway over the nomination to fill a vacancy on the SCC. And it’s here that we get a glimpse of the spoils-laden future:

Another delegate, Jim Shuler of Blacksburg, fumed over the evolving deal between Senate Democrats and the House Republican majority that would assure an all-GOP State Corporation Commission by installing Judge Catherine Hammond of the Henrico Circuit Court.

To many House D’s, Saslaw-crats should be promoting impasse with House R’s over the SCC. That way, Kaine could select the next commissioner. He or she might be a Democrat; better yet, black. No African-American has served on the SCC.

But L’affaire Hammond also exposes complex political chess: black senators, including Henry Marsh of Richmond, angling to create vacancies in the Henrico courts that might be filled with African-Americans.

Former Del. Barnie Day is one Democratic alternative, and, I think, probably the best overall pick for the post. But his prospects have been dimmed not only by the partisan split between House and Senate, both of which must approve a nominee, but also by the quota-based machinations of other local potentates. Caught in between is the Governor, who may be pining more and more for the good old days on Richmond’s city council, where he only had to contend with frauds, hucksters and dullards, as opposed to the brawling two year olds surrounding him now.

After reading through all this, that blissful, brief chill swept through me…at long last, the Other Party was finally getting it’s turn at the bitter, yet seductive, well of divisiveness. May they enjoy every last drop.

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