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SCHAPIRO: VA. SENATE DEMOCRATS DIVIDED, DYSFUNCTIONAL, NAIVE
By JEFF E. SCHAPIRORichmond Times-Dispatch 01/27/2013About the only thing Virginia Senate Democrats are missing are Post-its on their backs that read, “Kick me.” It’s not hard for them to be humble. More than divided, they are dysfunctional. Their leadership — what leadership? — is better at speaking out after the fact than outsmarting Republicans before it. And Democrats are naïve, believing if they’re nice to Republicans, Republicans will be nice in return. Last year, Republicans — emboldened in a 20-20 Senate by their tie-breaking 21st vote from Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling — wouldn’t even allow Chuck Colgan to keep an honorific, president pro tempore, as the Senate’s longest-serving member. The elfin, energetic Colgan has 36 years in the place, of his 85 on the planet.