Oh and increase fees he did. The "no tax increase " Republicans love to say how they are against tax increases that actually pay for stuff. He doubled the tag and license fees ..so someone explain to me how this is not a tax.I for one hope that this battle allows a Democrat to win the seat and hopefully he will be replaced With a Democratic Governor.
Another bonehead move, Ol' Charlie put through a double homestead exemption 25k-50k with a portability clause last year that has bankrupted local governments and ended up not saving anyone much money.

Since what the voters want from government -- a high level of services, low taxes, and perpetual prosperity, compose a set of impossible and contradictory demands, there is no benefit to any politician for being rational. Just saying "the present sucks" is all that's required to win elections, which is why the Republicans will sweep the country in 2010.
Of course, then they'll start to get blamed, and the cycle will continue.

Conservatives find it easy to take cheap shots at ideas that work, but struggle to craft actual solutions or solve actual problems.

I see no evidence that they're even trying to craft actual solutions or solve actual problems, let alone struggling to do so.

Perhaps the fine folks in the post below this: LEADING CONSERVATIVES: 'THE SCAREMONGERING ABOUT THESE ISSUES SHOULD STOP'.... could do some splanin' about taxes and their role in our society. Or maybe J. Galt...He's around here somewhere I think.

Our political discourse is whack...

"Crist's Cross?"....That's wikity-wikity-wikity-WHACK.

Note that Chris Christie made the same promises in his NJ gubernatorial as Rubio did here- promise to slash taxes on the highest earners and make completely unspecified budget cuts to make up for the resulting deficits.

I would be surprised at how quickly people forget that this never works, but one never lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American public, especially its voting public.

-Z

Taking into account the level of actual competance that the rights new group of darlings has we will be facing the greatest crisis that this country 's ever faced. If this group some how manages to take power we'll basically be screwed for the foreseeable future. A toxic combination of incompetance and dogmatic approach will relegate the USA to the status of a third world country. They must be stopped.

Does Saint Rubio practice self immolation?

Asked what he would have done if governor, Rubio said he would have refused federal aid for his struggling state, and would have preferred to cut $6 billion out of the $65 billion state budget. Asked where this $6 billion in savings would have come from, Rubio said, "I don't have the budget in front of me."

Very noble!

Why, I bet he would slash his own salary and health care benefits...

2010 is likely to demonstrate just how dumbed down the electorate is. 2008 brought a huge turnout of younger voters and others who don't normally vote. The midterms usually have a low turnout of dedicated and motivated older voters. With the Democrats not having a coherent message, and the Rethugs message of 'just say no', to everything, dumb and dumber are likely to prevail in many places.

The Rethugs want to rule, not govern. The Dems are shooting themselves in every appendage by their fractious behavior, and obvious support of Wall Street. California is showing the way, as it does so often, to totally dysfunctional government. Washington is not far behind, and the realization may be in the next Congress with an inevitable greater number of Rethugs. Hopefully they won't be the majority, but the Dems with incoherent behavior are again making the unintentional argument that it wouldn't make much difference.

If they expect to maintain their role as the governing party, Dems are going to have to deliver, not count on the GOP's pathetic approach to public policy pushing voters away.

It's sad that we have to keep harping on this with the "leaders" in Congress. Doesn't this qualify as Politics 101?

"Consider a congressman, then consider an idiot. Ah, but I repeat myself." -- Mark Twain, 1872

rRk1: I wouldn't worry too much about Repubs taking over Congress in 2010. Almost half their seats are up for re-election (18), and a third of those are retiring. They'll have to keep all of the seats they have now, plus gain over half of the 18 seats the Dems have up for grabs just to get to 50 seats. Ain't gonna happen this time around.

And of course, as I just corrected someone in another thread, when I said congress, I really meant the senate. The house could shift radicaly in every election cycle, but it's really far too early to start stressing over that too much.

Keeping voters misinformed and ignorant is the only way these guys can get themselves elected.

"I don't have the budget in front of me"???

To suggest cutting $6 billion from the budget you'd think you'd have a pretty good idea where most of that would come from huh. Speaking "teabag" only requires spouting condemnations and blame not give answers.

If Dems deliver on just *half* of what they've pledged to, then I'd welcome folks like Rubio being elected into office. Let the voters of his state suffer for awhile under the rule of an idiot and they will (hopefully) learn their lesson. Even a child won't stick her hand back into a cage once she's been bitten by the snake that resides inside. Treat Floridians like the children they are if they vote for a man like Rubio - let them learn, and suffer, from their own mistakes.