Whiplash Spitzer

In honor of another ineffective politician, Ray "Whiplash" Nagin, who reversed course on how to deal with the Katrina disaster more times than I could count, I hereby bestow the moniker on New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer.

Whiplash Spitzer is definitely doing his best impression of Nagin. Just days after the Governor called on the Department of Taxation and Finance to start taxing online purchases, he's reversed course over the outcry from those who saw this as another tax and spend grab.

That's on the heels of shelving his ill-conceived plan to undermine national security by providing illegal aliens with drivers licenses - all in the name of safety mind you. And of course, the I see that the New York Times is once again carrying Spitzer's water (and god knows what else) claiming that people are praising Spitzer or that he deserves praise for dropping the illegal alien drivers license plan.

Sorry, he doesn't deserve praise for doing what practically everyone considered to be common sense. That he had a moment of clarity due to Hillary and other Democrats dropping on him like a ton of bricks isn't a reason for celebration. He's not going to give up on the plan, and the situation in NY is still precarious due to the tax and spend ways of the Democrats in the State government. He's simply going to wait until things are more favorable before pushing them once again.

UPDATE:
Others following Spitzer's whiplash policy shifts include Jammie, Instapundit, and Classical Values. What is it with Spitzer that he keeps shifting like a drunken sailor?

As of this morning, the Department and Taxation Memo, TSB-M-07(6)S, that provided the taxing scheme on online purchases is still posted to the Tax and Finance Website and has not been superseded. As the NY Sun reported, New York faces a $4.3 billion deficit. Not once has the state considered spending cuts, and Spitzer and the Democrats look at taxes as their salvation.

Taxes and overspending are what got the state into the mess that it is in, and more taxes are not going to solve the problem. It's just going to drive more people to states with lower tax burdens and lower costs of living.

UPDATE:
It seems that Mr. Bingley at Coalition of the Swilling has managed to infiltrate the Second Floor at the Capitol building and caught Gov. Spitzer in action [caution - humor alert].

Hot Air thinks that impeachment has been averted for now.

UPDATE:
Tax and Finance has finally posted a notice of withdrawal (TSB-M-07(6.1)S) on the Spitzer tax grab.