Sure Sounds Indignant To Me

Boy, someone up on Campbell Ave. sure is in high dudgeon today.

Today's editorial "Transportation as a test of honor" would have you believe the House Republicans have been stubborn just for the sake of stubbornness, and dishonest because, well it's in their Republican genes.

Politicians committed to diplomacy, dialogue and discretion would have agreed upon a comprehensive transportation solution months ago. Such civic virtue, however, has been in short supply in Richmond, particularly among House Republicans more interested in political gamesmanship and denying the new governor any semblance of victory.

Now, those same delegates who blindly followed partisan leaders to stymie a long-term transportation solution have promised to work with the Senate. Virginians should hold them to it.

The Senate capitulated to House budget demands and gave up its leverage in the fight to do something sensible about transportation.

Without the threat of a government shutdown and the ensuing political fallout, only honor will compel House Republicans to hash out a comprehensive, long-term transportation plan.

House Speaker William Howell, Majority Leader Morgan Griffith and their loyal followers won their political game. If they now betray their promise, future transportation remediation becomes far less likely. Not only will they have squandered an environment of temporary financial security, but they also will have ensconced distrust and duplicity in the capitol.

Once again, the citizens of SWVA, who should be receiving honest news from their largest newspaper, are receiving instead only partial truths and slanted statements.

Of course, I know an editorial is typically biased, to the left or to the right, depending upon the proclivities of it's board. But this editorial makes more than one thinly veiled accusation regarding a lack of honesty and honor on the part of House Republicans.

In order to be completely truthful, the editorial should have at least one mention of the fact that House Speaker William Howell has refused to capitulate to the Senate and the Governor's demands on Constitutional terms.

I'll go into further detail regarding those Constitutional issues in a later post.

UPDATE:
While you're waiting for my next post on this subject, go here and read Jerry's take on this editorial.