House Majority Leader Richard Saslaw, D-Springfield, could do for the Democrats what former Sen. John Chichester did for the Republicans: Keep them divided and fighting amongst themselves.
In a Sunday column, Jeff Schapiro described a breakfast hosted last week by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine for a dozen prominent Democratic legislators. “Over scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage,” he wrote, “Kaine’s primary concern was dissent among Democrats.” Participants at the breakfast traced the divisiveness to Saslaw, who was present. Del. Lionell Spruill, D-Chesapeake, was angry at the Senate potentate for blocking a crackdown on payday lenders, who, as it happens, had contributed thousands of dollars to one of his campaign funds. Accusing Saslaw of behaving like a king, Spruill got so agitated that the governor had to call time out.
Del. Jim Shuler, D-Blacksburg, also was upset about a deal brewing between Senate Dems and House Republicans that would install Catherine Hammond, appointed by Gov. Jim Gilmore to a Henrico County judgeship, to the State Corporation Commission. The move would ensure an all-GOP SCC.
Saslaw has his work cut out for him if he’s going to schism the Democrats like Chichester did the Republicans. But he shows potential. Humility does not appear to be one of his virtues. He has shown little inclination so far to kowtow to Tim “Mr. Nice Guy” Kaine merely because he’s governor. After all, Kaine will be gone in two years while, assuming the Dems hang on to their Senate majority, the 67-year-old Saslaw could well run the show for a decade or more.
Personalities aside, Virginia’s Democratic Party displays fissures that it managed to paper over while it was in the minority. But now that the party is back in power, it’s clear to see that the Dems include both members of the business class — Saslaw is an Amoco and Mobil gasoline station dealer — as well as populist rabble rousers. While the Dems tend to unite over culture war issues, they represent a broad range of business and demographic constituencies that don’t always see eye to eye when it comes to government regulation.