In this episode of Virginia Politics On-Demand, Virginia Senate Republican Leader Tommy Norment gives his thoughts during a wide-ranging interview which includes the budget deficit, the GOP role in transportation funding, the changing dynamics in the Senate due to this year’s general election, working with Creigh Deeds, Bill Bolling, Ken Cuccinelli, and Jody Wagner, and the coordination between the House Republican Campaign Committee, Senate Republican Leadership Trust, Republican Party of Virginia, and the three statewide campaigns.
“In the last couple of years I have been very disappointed with the stewardship of my Democratic colleagues,” lamented Norment about the budget yet again going into the red due to overly optimistic revenue projections and high spending by the state government. “While none of us could forecast exactly what the economy was going to do there were certainly enough indications out there that we needed to move deliberately and conservatively.”
Not unexpectedly, he does not share the governor’s view that the GOP was a roadblock to transportation funding. He goes onto say that the GOP played a critical role in ensuring that the funding we have is in place and that the Democrats’ plans always included massive statewide tax increases.
Regarding the election, Norment believes it is extremely important.
“Our Republican base needs to be reminded on almost a daily basis that this election cycle in 2009, in my opinion, is the most critical governor’s race in the modern history of Virginia,” he said. “We have to win this governors race…if you have a Democratically-controlled Senate and a Democrat in the Governor’s Mansion we are going to be at the mercy of the Democrats — and they are not going to be generous in their redistricting.”
He also talks about consensus building within the caucus and across to the House of Delegates saying that the Senate caucus has “been very supportive of our friends in the House of Delegates that are Republicans” reducing some of the friction that existed in the past.
And, he weighs in again on the change in party leadership.
“There are a lot less tensions [at RPV],” he said.
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Opening music “Highway Run” by the Charlie Wheeler Band available through Ariel Publicity.
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