State Senator Hurt Not Conservative?

I've covered before the importance of Republicans going after Virginia's three ducklings in 2010 before they settle down and take control of their swing district for elections to come. While I am a big fan of both Scott Rigell and Keith Fimian I am concerned that the 5th District Republicans are having a hard time finding a conservative to challenge Tom Perriello.

There are three announced challengers in the 5th District. While a lot of people may have initially brushed off working class candidate Bradley Rees, his determination has started to pay off and he is attracting national attention. The two other candidates, Feda Kidd Morton and Laurence Verga, both seem to be running as conservatives but have shown less of a work ethic as Rees. To be fair I'm going to give them more time to figure out where Southside Virginia is. I don't think Californian Laurence Verga has ever been to Southside Virginia. Maybe he thinks rural America is when he drives out from downtown Charlottesville to Farmington Country Club.

Adding to my concerns, Republican Unit Vice-Chairman Tim Boyer has started to check under the hood to see if State Senator Robert Hurt is a conservative or a lemon.

Today, we will focus on his vote for the largest tax increase in Virginia's history.

Senator Hurt voted for the so-called "Commonwealth of Opportunity" budget and tax reform act of 2004-2005.

This assault on Virginia taxpayers came courtesy of then-Governor Warner and Republican Preston Bryant, who convinced seventeen other Republicans to join him in crossing the aisle to provide the necessary Republican votes to get this bill passed in a House then controlled by Republicans. (Bryant was paid off with a Cabinet position in the new Kaine Administration)

Sadly, not only did Hurt vote for this bill, providing the needed Republican votes to pass it, but we found out only a short time later that Virginia had at the time a $1 billion (that's right, $1 BILLION !!) budget surplus at the same time we were stealing more money from Virginia's citizens, under the pretext of a budget shortfall.

The same Republican party that assaulted Warner, and rightfully so, as a tax and spender, provided desperately needed Republican votes for the largest tax increase in Virginia's history.

The bill could not pass with Democrat votes alone, so Republicans did it for them; Senator Hurt was one of those eighteen Republicans.

How can Senator Hurt possibly call out Perriello for his Cap and Trade tax increase vote, among others, with any credibility?

Perriello will only have to respond, ' yeah, here's Mr. Largest Tax Increase in Virginia's History calling me a tax and spender!!'

That Robert Hurt voted for Virginia's largest tax increase in history is a serious flaw. We need a strong conservative who can go after Perriello for his votes to raise taxes on working Americans during these difficult economic times. So far we have three conservative candidates that would do just that. We don't need a liberal candidate to jump into the Republican primary. Maybe Hurt should consider challenging Perriello in the Democratic primary?