The people of Alabama have overwhelming rejected their republican governor's proposal to raise taxes to close a $675 million budget deficit. Governor Bob Riley staked his political career on the vote and that career should come to a quick end.
Riley was an ideological colleague of Newt Gingrich, but he clearly caught the liberal apostate bug, believing that ever-increasing amounts of taxpayer dollars are necessary to fund ever-growing government.
So why is Riley even a republican? Isn't that what democrats believe?
What this vote shows is how out of touch politicians are with the people. The people work hard for the money they earn. The government taxes and spends too much of it. That's why Alabama has a deficit--not because the people aren't paying enough, but because state government spends too much.
Tax cuts and disempowering government are winning issues. Too bad governor Riley didn't understand that. The left-wing media is shocked. For them, government is God.
Not for Alabama voters, it isn't.
I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.
