"Lack of Gray Matter" or "How the Senate Rs Plan to Open Up a Can of Regime Change"

The most important Committee that you've never heard of is the Rules Committee.  Every bill goes through rules and it's critical for the governing majority to have a solid rules Committee made up of member whom you can count on in a crisis. 

After nearly 20 years in office, Senate President Bob Burns understands the importance of Rules and constructed a bulletproof Committee--he appointed himself as Chairman and filled the rest of the Republican seats with other members of the Senate Leadership team--Senate Majority Leader Chuck Gray and Senate Whip Pamela Gorman. 

Senate leaders are elected by their peers and a Leadership post comes with more than a fancy office and great floor seats.  It brings with it the responsibility of supporting the majority program and watching the Senate President's back. 

That's why the Capitol Community was stunned today when the Senate Rules Committee voted down the Governor's Sales Tax bill by a 5 to 1 vote with President Burns as the lone yes.  Not since Uriah the Hittite was cut down by the Canaanites has one man been so thoroughly abandoned on the field of battle. 

The Senate Republican caucus was aghast and the only speculation that I heard from Senators this afternoon was whether to remove them from leadership before the end of session--like the next caucus--or after Sine Die.

Comments

[EdFoster]

You're going to tell me that Bob Burns didn't know the votes before they walked in? That's hard to believe.

Maybe this is a ploy. Maybe Burns didn't want Brewer punching him out. "I was with you, Jan, but those other idiots voted no."

Also, are there only three Rs on the Rules Committee? I thought the majority had a majority. Seems like every contentious bill would be a tie.

[Jerry]

I love the Uriah the Hittite reference. Even Dennis Miller isn't that good.

[col.smeag]

HMMMMM...sounds like the rank and file are sending a message to the leadership. Such as .."No New Taxes!" or
"Take this tax and shove it." maybe
"Get a clue!" or you can enter you own as you see fit... the House and Senate have been telling the Governor to forget the sales tax hike all session long. BTW Who exactly is giving the Governor such bad advise on fiscal planning...Janet"Show me your ladder, I'll show you welfare" Napolitano?

[ron]

Maybe we can have a Albany style coup like they did in upstate NY a few weeks ago..

[Gould still doesn't get it.]

Sounds like the folks who don't want a shutdown are going to have do a deal with the dems, and give them some of what they want- gee a compromise!!!

Last chance to save whatever is left of the party.

[Bob]

Replace them? How about replace him!

[Thane Eichenauer]

Freedom good - taxes bad, bad, bad, bad.

[John]

Can't figure out Gray, but Gorman has been running for Congress for years. No way she "takes one for the team". Ever.

[Sen. Ron Gould]

Thayer Vershoor called division. Gray and Gorman along w/ Vershoor voted no. The caucus is divided on the tax hike.

[Gould still doesn't get it.]

I can hardly wait until revenues drop again, and we finally have to suck up and pass a tax increase.

[Joe G.]

Tax increase during a recession? Brilliant. Double-dip cones for all my friends, while we're at it.

[Dave K.]

"I can hardly wait until revenues drop again, and we finally have to suck up and pass a tax increase."

There's a reason why even the Dems didn't want to push for a tax increase. There's a reason for the term "political suicide" too.

But hey, if you're volunteering, elections are coming fast ...

[North Valley Republican]

Actually, it's Burns who will be burned by his dictator actions of this past week. He fails every test of leadership - making me wonder if he and Jan Brewer went to the same class.

Brewer's false concern about education is designed to get a tax passed - pretending it's for education, when it is really for freeing other funds currently allocated to education. This will appease her liberal advisors.

It's time to take a hard position, cut her office funding by 50 percent. She has so messed it up that Terry Goddard is planning on which decorator he wants to set-up his new office on the 9th Floor. And, frankly, to a die-hard Republican, he ain't looking too bad compared to our own governor.

[Spud-Man]

Greg-Man, I love the Uriah the Hittite reference too, but I'm surprised at your slip-up in terms of biblical accuracy -- Uriah was killed on the Israelite front lines by Ammonites, not Canaanites...