Friday, April 20, 2012

Another day, another Democratic Party fold: Sen. Colgan surprises this time


Just when it looked as though Democrats in Virginia’s Senate might hold firm and squeeze reasonable concessions out of the Republican Party, Sen. Charles Colgan (D-Prince William County)[1] jumped ship and handed the Senate GOP a relatively easy budget victory.

Colgan told reporters “I didn’t sleep well last night”[2] when attempting to explain his about-face that sent a wave of shock through the Democratic Party.

We will never know what concessions the Democratic Party could have gained in the budget fight, but for all of the fear-mongering about a “government shutdown,” that outcome never really seemed likely to observers, a blow to what Colgan seemed to ever so slightly imply. Colgan effectively punted the ball before fourth down.

So continues the long-standing Democratic Party tradition of caving before all of the political cards have been dealt, not only dropping possible GOP concessions but making it all the more difficult to bargain in a political stand-off next time around.

Can anyone imagine Virginia’s Republican Party simply ignoring future Democratic threats of a showdown? Maybe they’ll be more willing to make the Democratic side sweat it out and have a bad night’s sleep?

Because of one man’s inability to sleep, thousands of Virginians will now face a tougher economic burden for the foreseeable future. Thanks, then, Sen. Colgan for representing the interests of the people of Virginia.


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