Republican perfidity exploits a legislator's self-interest

He is of course not the first politician in history to sell out to the opposition, but Virginia state senator, Phillip Puckett, right now is the center of a political storm that makes him look like the personification of self-interest and greed.

Ever since Democrat Terry McCauliffe took office as governor in a state with a Republican controlled House and an evenly split Senate, the battle has been on.   McCauliffe has been trying to expand Medicaid, and the Republicans have been fighting it.

Now for the moment, a perfidious act of Republican bribery -- that's not too strong a word -- has persuaded the senator to resign his seat, which then gives the Republicans control of both bodies of the legislature.   What this means is that they can block Gov. McCauliffe's attempt to expand health care coverage to up to 400,000 Virginians.

What was the price that tempted Sen. Puckett to do this?   An appointment as deputy director of the state tobacco commission and a judgeship for his daughter.

Of course this is done in such a way that there is no direct quid pro quo, but nobody is fooled by this.   To be fair, Puckett has not yet responded to the backlash criticism.  It's possible there is more to the story that makes him not look quite so bad.   But he has so far refused comment.

So we're left with seeing him in the worst light.

Ralph  

4:00 pm addendum:   News reports are that Puckett now has withdrawn his name for consideration for the tobacco commission job.  His resignation has already become official and stands.   Apparently this leaves open the possibility of his daughter get the judgeship (I gather that his being a state senator would interfere with her eligibility for that.)

So, as of now, however, it still gives Republicans a 20-19 majority and control of the senate.