More than a quarter century ago, our longtime Washington
correspondent (and now senior editor) Tom Bethell began bestowing
the Strange New Respect Award on once-reliable conservatives who
won liberal praise by adopting liberal policies. Of a sudden, an
erstwhile Neanderthal would be treated in the Washington
Post as someone who was no longer "simplistic" and "shrill"
but rather a figure who had "grown" and showed himself to be
"nuanced." In today's Post we see the dynamic is
still in play, except the party in question is said to be
"maturing." The culprit: Virginia House Speaker William Howell,
until recently a staunch opponent of new transportation taxes in
Virginia but now hinting he could be flexible on that score. The
Post tosses numerous bouquets at him.
"As many political observers see it, Howell is maturing into the
leadership role he took on four years ago, which could help the
speaker boost his influence."
Once thought "politically aloof and stubborn," he was now using
"gentle persuasion" and "diplomacy" to bring "unruly" Republicans
around, a great improvement on his "battered image" owing to his
earlier "feuding" with pro-tax hiking Democratic governors and
"moderate" Republicans.
In short, as the headline over the jump in today's Post
reads, "Howell Is Maturing, Some Say."
I'll say.
topics:
Taxes, Transportation
