Old Zach's post below regarding the tour of GOP worthies touting their acheivements has put me in full Joan Crawford mode.

I do not begrudge the GOP's efforts to tout their accomplishments. As the majority party, they have every right, and every responsibility, to remind voters of the policies they've advanced, the initiatives they've championed, and the goals they hope to reach should the voters decide to preserve that majority after next month's elections.

If only things were that simple, though. Regrettably for the Republicans, they are not.

But aside from the blogger call O.Z. mentions, there was also a press conference yesterday, covered here by the RTD's Tyler Whitley. It covers may of the same points O.Z. mentioned in his thumbnail, but packages it this way:

Among the accomplishments listed by the Republicans are abolishing parole; implementing school Standards of Learning, welfare and Medicaid reforms, tax relief, and tougher laws against sexual predators and drunken drivers; cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay; and passing a $3 billion transportation package.

Most of those were done under Govs. George Allen and Jim Gilmore, both Republicans.

That last line is absolutely devastating. In essence, much of what the worthies are touting happened long ago -- back when they were, in fact, a minority party. Those acheivements, big as they are, owed their success to strong Republican governors and...Democrats.

What has the GOP wrought while holding legislative majorities?

A tax increase in 2004, enabled by the Speaker's decision to ask two GOP House committee members to "take a walk" so that the tax bill could make it to the floor and pass.

And as a hefty side benefit, this tax hike also revived what had been a moribund Mark Warner gubernatorial term. The full results of this debacle will not be known until next year, when Warner faces an as yet to be determined Republican opponent to replace John Warner in the Senate.

Then there was the transportation bill, a hodge-podge of new fees and new (unelected) taxing authorities that has already cost one Republican his Senate seat and may, finally, cost several others their seats, too.

Let us also not forget that government today is bigger, and costs us all more, than it did before the GOP was handed the keys to the leadership washrooms.

This is not a conservative record. It is not a record of fiscal restraint, and it manages to avoid paying even lip-service to the now quaint concept of limited government.

In ways that are painful to admit, it is closer to the record established by the congressional Republicans before the 2006 elections. And the results in Virginia could be much the same.

For weeks now, I've been hearing bits of gossip and pieces of news about the prospects for the party in next month's elections.

Let's just say that if even half of what I'm hearing is true, then we had all best get used to the idea of saying "Majority Leader Saslaw," and perhaps even worse in the House.

That's not to give the Democrats any credit for running good races. As a party, they have put forward almost nothing in the way of a platform, let alone a vision for the Commonwealth that does not involve even more and even larger government. They are following as closely as possible the Pelosi model of campaigning, which is to stand on the proper corner and wait patiently for the victory bus to scoop them up in November.

All thanks to a rudderless, visionless GOP.

As I wrote before the 2006 elections back on OMT, the Republicans are so deep in the weeds, the only way they will find their way out is to lose, and lose handily in November. That will not sit well at all with my partisan friends, but I still believe defeat can be an invaluable tonic.

For Virginia Republicans, defeat can help them decide what they truly believe as a party. It will be ugly and painful. But it will also be useful, giving them the sort of clarity they need to come back strong in 2009 (and I fully believe that a Democratic victory in November will result in a GOP resurgence in 2009...Virginia voters may be tired of the GOP now, but they will tire even more quickly of the Democrats).

I could be wrong about all of this. And if I am, I will freely admit it. But I could be right. And if I am, then all of us who believe in limited, accountable, fiscally responsible government will have a great deal of work to do to ensure that those principles are restored to the primacy they deserve.

"The Republican Party is the party of reform. Without reform, there is no Republican Party."

SST EDITION: I'm posting this here, despite it being a local Fairfax race, for several reasons. The 2005 and 2006 elections proved without a shadow of a doubt that there is just not enough votes in the rest of the state to go Republicans way to offset heavy lopsided loses in Northern Virginia. I've heard both Bill Bolling and Bob McDonnell talk about needing just ONE PERCENT more in Fairfax to win statewide. If we have the chairmanship, I'm pretty sure he's capable enough to remind suburban voters why they voted Republican in the 1990s.

That was the message tonight preached by Fairfax Chairman candidate Gary Baise. For 12 years, he reasoned, Fairfax County has been misgoverned and mislead by entrenched Democrat power. Flanked by impressive charts for all to read, Baise made the case for reform in Fairfax country. His focus will be on "dinner table issues," things that he knows through his work in Enviromental law. Baise concentrated his arguments (ever the lawyer) on Connolly and growth. Growth isn't the issue per say, its that Fairfax County has grown while our transportation infrastructure has not. Baise vowed to widen 66 inside the beltway and add a lane each way on Route 7, just like in Loudoun County. Then we wonder, WHY is growth in Fairfax out of control? Perhaps is the near $200,000 Chairman Connelly has graciously accepted from donors who directly do business with the Board. Hmmmm. Baise pointedly said that Gerry Connolly has created an appearance of a conflict of interests. I would have gone further. The DCPost reported that $300,000 of Connolly's $1 million warchest came from, wait for it . . . . developers! Baise continued with how mismanaged the county has been. We have a gigantic budget, but our priorities are wrong. It took a front-page Washington Post stroy about illegal aliens crowding into houses for Connolly to act, after 31/2 years of pandering and doing nothing. As Baise said, a strike force in an election year isn't good enough. Fairfax County, Baise pointed out, only has about 35 zoning officials, TWO LESS than twelve years ago. How much has Fairfax grown since then? Baise continued, talking about spending. He pointed out that rail operators, bus drivers, and train conductors in Faifax make alot of money. . . some nearing $100,000 a year. There's nothing wrong with these guys, but wouldn't that kind of money be better spent on, oh I don't know, teachers?! It was an impressive performance tonight.

Gary Baise struck an impressive pose tonight. He looked and sounded like a Chairman. He had facts and figures on the top of his head, he spoke strongly but calmly. He stated his message, attacked his opponent, yet but was a gentleman throughout. His legal background and work in both EPA and Department of Justice gives him an excellent pedigree. But none of this matters until Gary Baise can prove he can raise the kind of money to put this message out there and really challenge Connolly. Right now, Connolly starts with over $1 million, Baise has just $20,000 according to the Post. Connolly has the big money in Northern Virginia (obviously). So its an uphill battle. One thing Connolly has done right as Chairman is consolidate all the power that incumbancy gives you. So go to Baise's WEBSITE and see what you can do to help him out. He's gonna need it. But trust me, it'll be worth it.