After no Dem backing, Kaine points finger at GOP

Republicans responded after Democrat Gov. Tim Kaine compared the just-completed Special Session to a "Seinfeld" episode.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported:

Republicans offered similarly scathing reviews of the governor. They faulted him for calling a special session that, they charged, was politically motivated and not ready for prime time.

The governor scoffed that he had "never seen a group work so hard to do nothing."

Republicans responded.

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Republican who presides over the state Senate, said the special session "was a colossal waste of time and money." He said fixing Virginia's roads must come from revenues already collected by the state.

"There was never a consensus about this session around any specific resolution to transportation," Bolling said.

Del. William R. Janis, R-Henrico, said Kaine was responsible for a session that suffered from a lack of direction.

"If you don't know where you're going, just about any road you take will get you there," he said yesterday at 1:45 a.m., as lawmakers left the Capitol after adjournment.

"And here we are."

The governor may want to be careful about pointing the finger of blame ... he was not backed up by his own Democrat legislators.

After traveling throughout the Commonwealth for weeks promoting his transportation tax plan ... after being rebuffed over and over by citizens who did not want more taxes as a time when soaring gas prices were taking a bite out of everyone's wallets ... Kaine still called the General Assembly to Richmond even though he did not have Democrat backing for his transportation plan.

His press conference yesterday in Richmond blaming Republicans appeared to be a case of "me thinks thou doeth protest too much."