That's what it looks like here in the Cheap Seats, at least.

Some things are expected when you make a living covering politics: Congressional candidates blasting e-mails and faxes looking for coverage, statewide candidates swooping in to the Lee-Jackson Banquet Room every so often to either make inroads or shore up their base in the Shenandoah Valley.

But weirdness is also part of the job: statewide politicians just "dropping by to talk" in Strasburg, the odd letter with no return address alleging that a sitting member of Congress is has been endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan or finding a $500 donation from an ESPN sportscaster to a state-level candidate.

Chalk this last week up into the "weirdness" category. With Virginia in play for the first time since LBJ, national campaigns are peppering local media outlets with contacts, press conferences, press releases, videos and radio actualities like they're running for governor, rather than president.

My McCain-Obama e-mail vault is quickly starting to look like my Kaine-Kilgore archive from 2005, except with many more YouTube videos.

But there is a stark difference -- partisans on both sides are far more passionate, if not angry, than I ever witnessed during the last gubernatorial go-round here in Virginia. And it's not even August yet.

Stay tuned. At the rate we're going now, Barack Obama and John McCain will both swing by Cheap Seats HQ "just to chat" sometime around the World Series.

When I folded up the live blog and boarded Cheap Seats One for Strasburg last night, I was all but certain that I'd be able to log on and see the minutes of the concluded special session when I got home at about 11:30 p.m.

Turns out I was off. By two hours.

Neither the House nor the Senate completed their work until after 1:30 a.m., hammering on issues like a constitutional "lock box" for transportation trust fund dollars, offshore oil drilling and HB 6055, the somewhat infamous "Son of HB 3202."

HB 6055 had been the source of a great deal of heartburn on the GOP side of the aisle. A number of anti-tax legislators said they had serious problems with raising  taxes -- even if they were just in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads -- during an economic downturn.

But delegates from those two regions were anxious to re-start some sort of regional funding mechanism after the Virginia Supreme Court in February struck down those provisions of House Bill 3202. In the end, the GOP settled on a funding mechanism that didn't require a tax increase.

The measure was scuttled in the Senate, but in this instance, that's immaterial. For the first time since the great tax fight of 2004, the GOP caucus held together in the face of pressure from a Senate and governor calling for tax increases.

While the policy implications of the GOP's new-found unity are debatable, the political landscape appears to have changed markedly, at least from where I'm sitting.

The strategy pioneered by Democratic Gov. Mark Warner -- peel off just enough Republicans to pass the bill, then let a disaffected base take it out on the party at the ballot box -- didn't work. Nor did regional divisions in the GOP lead to a bi-partisan tax increase.
 
Couple that with the unity in the Senate's Republican ranks forged by their losses in November 2007, and the complexion of Capitol Square is different today, indeed.

Cheap Seats One is loaded and ready for the trip to Richmond. Now you can participate without having to make the three-hour slog from Strasburg to Capitol Square... join us here for a live blog of the days events.

We're packing up the cooler and preparing to close down the Cheap Seats for a long weekend of grilling, swimming and fireworks, possibly all at the same time.

Independence Day is one of the few times it's safe for a Virginia political reporter to stop paying attention for a few hours. Politicians in Richmond and Washington almost always run for the exits, and campaigns slow to a snail's pace as voters generally stop caring about candidates for a day or so. Barbecue and beaches make health care policy and tax rates take a back seat.

But for someone who spends their days watching and reporting on the political process, the Fourth of July is truly a remarkable holiday.

Maybe it's just reflective of the fact that I grew up in the hills and hollers of East Tennessee, but Richmond and Washington never cease to impress me.

For most of my life, the biggest building I encountered was a 12-story hospital in Johnson City, a sprawling metropolis of about 50,000 at the time. To walk the halls of Thomas Jefferson's Capitol and stand on the South Portico of his Temple on the Hill is truly an awe-inspiring experience. So much more so in D.C.

From here in the Cheap Seats, though, it's hard not to be even more impressed with the fact that the voters have total and complete control over who occupies the seats of power in those monuments. Later this year, the American people can quietly and peacefully walk to the ballot box and, if they so choose, fire almost every one of our elected leaders at once. (Yes, I know we only elect one-third of the Senate at a time, but I've got a theme going here, so work with me.)

Politicians who lose elections in our country may occasionally appeal to the courts, but they don't rally militias, nor do they refuse to leave their office once all is said and done.  One only look at the recent tumult in Zimbabwe to realize that the trappings of democracy do not always a democracy make.

So as we of the Cheap Seats prepare a burnt offering of chicken on a stick, various adult beverages and some gunpowder, we'll also be thinking about the American Revolution -- and the peaceful revolution that has happened every Election Day since then.

I really can't say anything about this link without ruining it for you. All I can do is tell you the title: Pork Invaders.

Sometimes the confluence of the Internet and politics can create strange, strange things.

Hat tip: Bearing Drift.

For better or worse, Virginia has a divided government. That means anything that gets done happens because Republicans and Democrats agree on it.

But as what could well be the final act of the 2008 Transportation Special Session approaches, Democrats appear to be very much in the drivers seat when it comes to the issue of raising taxes for transportation.

Sen. Dick Saslaw, D-Springfield, is the author of the only revenue bill to pass either chamber, Senate Bill 6009. His bill would raise $1 billion or so a year by raising the gas tax by 1 cent per year over six years. It would also raise the general sales tax by 0.25 percent and lower the food tax by 0.5 percent.

That puts Saslaw is in the driver's seat for Democratic plans. Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's $1 billion per year plan was never introduced in the Senate and was summarily executed in a House committee.

That would normally be the fate of a gas-tax hike in the GOP-lead House, but GOP leaders have apparently grown tired of being labeled as obstructionists, and passed the bill on to the floor for an up or down vote, likely on either July 9 or 10.

Democrats in the House would need to peel off only six GOP votes to pass the measure, provided their caucus held together as solidly as their Senate counterparts did. And there are enough Republicans in Democratic trending districts in Northern Virginia to make any nose counts interesting.

A number of GOP delegates have said quietly that there could well be enough defections to push it SB 6009 over the top. But that depends on Democrats holding their 45 members in line to vote for a gas tax hike when gas is more than $4 per gallon.

Ben Tribbett's breakdowns of all 100 House districts here and here are a good place to see where members on both sides might get wobbly.

If the Democrats were to hold their caucus together and find the GOP support they need, the fight moves back into Kaine's front yard. With no bill in the Senate and a House version executed in committee, the governor hasn't had much official legislative input into the bills that are rattling around the square.

That could change quickly, though.

Kaine could amend SB 6009 to fit his own plan, most likely by sending down an "amendment in the form of a substitute," a relatively common practice. Kaine used the same procedure to make changes to last year's House Bill 3202. But there is a limit on how much "amending" can be done. If a majority of members in either House find that a package of amendments is not "specific and severable," they can disregard them and send back the original bill.

A re-write by Kaine would move the fight back to the Senate, where the Democratic majority would have to choose whose vision they wanted to implement -- Kaine's or Saslaw's. That could be an uncomfortable vote for Democrats, indeed.

Next week is going to be interesting.

Here in the Cheap Seats it's either feast or famine, and today's legislative buffet is so loaded that I've spent the majority of the day just trying to organize it, understand and it and pick out the highlights for tomorrow's press run.

At the bottom line, the political situation remains muddy. Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and his compatriots in the Senate still haven't come together on a course of action. The split remains over a gas tax. Senators tell me there aren't 21 votes for a gas tax hike, sought by Democratic leaders in the Senate, nor are their 21 votes for Kaine's taxes and fees.

On the House side, a number of legislators say there might be 51 votes for some kind of gas tax hike, depending on the fine details of the proposal, with Democrats peeling off a handful of vulnerable Northern Virginia Republicans. That has House leaders leery of taking any action that could force a floor vote on the gas tax.

Will it happen? It's just flat out hard to say right now. There's a ton of pressure on legislators to do something about roads, but voting to make $4 per gallon gasoline even more expensive is a sure political loser, something Kaine acknowledged in his own transportation package.

Other highlights from the square today include:

• Offshore drilling is probably dead for the session.
The Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee voted along party lines to kill two bills that would have opened Virginia offshore oil drilling.

Democrats on the committee said they had environmental concerns about the legislation.

Republicans on the panel said the commonwealth could have seen some $200 million per year for transportation and environmental initiatives from royalties paid by oil companies if their bills had passed and Congress had given the OK.

• Some constitutional "lock boxes" also bit the dust on Tuesday, and the GOP is decidedly unhappy about it. From a Republican press release:

Senate Democrats this afternoon killed a measure designed to ensure that funds raised by regional levies be spent exclusively in those regions. Senator Creigh Deeds (D - Bath) led enough Democrats on the Privileges and Elections Committee to defeat the measure proposed by Senator Ken Stolle (R - Virginia Beach). It failed by a single vote despite unanimous Republican support.

Stolle's measure would have begun the process of adopting a constitutional amendment that would establish a so-called "lock box" for regional transportation funds. Without it, those funds could be diverted to other purposes or to other parts of the Commonwealth and Democrats on the committee expressed interest in preserving that option.

"Without this constitutional protection, taxpayers have no assurance that the measures we pass will do what we say they will do. This vote today does a great disservice to those who want to find solutions to our transportation challenges," said Stolle.

• Deeds, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, has waded in with a proposal that would encourage telecommuting. From the press release::

"We simply can't pave our way out of this traffic gridlock," said Deeds. "That's why I believe it is imperative that we address our transportation needs from the demand side of the equation as well. This tax credit package provides real incentives for Virginia businesses and their employees to get commuters off the road during rush hour."

Senate Bill 6012 provides a flextime income tax credit to employers for employees who enter into a flextime scheduling agreement, meaning they work a four-day workweek or begin their day between 6AM and 9AM. Under the legislation, employers are eligible for up to $25,000 per year in credits.

Senate Bill 6013 provides a tax credit to Virginia businesses for telecommuting expenditures and allows for a 100 percent tax credit for employers to conduct a telecommuting assessment the year prior to implementing a telecommuting program. Employers are eligible for a $1,200 credit per employee, capped at $20,000 per year.

There was an awful lot of heat but very little light during Monday's session.

Briefly, here's the lay of the land as both sides explain it to me. Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine wants legislators to do something to address an endemic shortage of road and rail funding made worse by the slowing economy.

But he's having trouble getting backing for his plan, which calls for various fees and taxes to be hiked statewide and in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. He's at sea with his own caucus in the Senate, though, and can't find a sponsor to carry his plan through the legislative process.

Senate Democrats want a gas tax or some other kind of levy. House and Senate Republicans don't want to raise taxes of any kind, and are somewhat resentful of the fact that they've been brought back to Richmond with no specific plan of action to deal with. They think Kaine is just angling for a way to paint Republicans as "do nothings" to pave the way for Democrats to take over the House in 2009.

It's a lot of posturing, according to Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Woodstock. (Yes, I know the video is a touch askew, but I'm my own camera guy and this is free video. Plus, you didn't have to drive to Richmond to see it. So don't complain.)

Del. Clay Athey, R-Front Royal, assess the situation, despite being victimized by poor camera work.

Here's Kaine's speech to a joint session today.




Here's the Republican response, featuring Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel, R-Upperville.

2:45 -- The Senate has adjourned as well. That's about all the "live" stuff from here, but watch the blog later for some video interviews with valley legislators.

2:18 -- House is out, will be back tomorrow at 11 a.m.

1:51 -- The Senate has taken a break to hear an explanation of three bills Senators have introduced, while the House is making speeches. We'll have highlights in tomorrow's print edition.

1:31 --  And we're out. Not sure what's on the agenda after the applause, but the Governor is done speaking.

1:30 -- Kaine: "Do we want to solve this problem?  I sense that the willingness is there to do it.  We all come here to serve, but the reality is that other concerns begin to intrude--concerns about electoral or caucus politics, concerns that willingness to compromise might be frowned on or interpreted as weakness.  If we let our actions be dictated by the insular concerns of Capitol Square, the problem could well be evaded until infinity.  But, let's fit our actions to the standards that prevail outside Capitol Square--the standards of our citizens who send us here to solve problems and get things done."

1:26 --  Kaine: "So, while we can all agree that a culture of continuous improvement must be the goal, the notion that we can kick VDOT as the all-purpose excuse to do nothing is transparent and irresponsible."

1:23 -- Kaine lays out the plan, defends VDOT, noting that the agency has had eight audits since 2001.

1:16 --  Kaine: "Virginians are responsible people. They don't demand a free lunch. Our constituents are open to a reasonable, moderate plan to raise the revenues we need. They appreciate the economic stimulus that road and rail construction can bring."

1:09 -- More remarks about the maintenance deficit and its impact on commuters, the economy.

1:03 -- Kaine: "Let me tell you something that everyone in the chamber already knows. Citizens and businesses believe that our current transportation network isn't meeting their needs. They are correct. They also expect us to do something about it."

1:02 -- Gov. Kaine has arrived. Speech to follow.

12:53 -- Jim Hoeft and the guys from Bearing Drift are here watching and blogging the legislative frivolity, too. The Senate is headed to the House chamber for Kaine's aforementioned speech.

12:45 -- Del. Bobby Orrock, R-Thornburg , is on the floor of the House exhorting his colleagues to revive  House Bill 3202 of 2007, and oppose a tax increase. "I don't see where things have changed so drastically ... from what we did a year ago to have this 'sky is falling' mentality," he said.

12:38 -- While we're waiting on Kaine, it's worth noting Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell's call for an independent audit of VDOT here.

12:36 -- Still waiting on Kaine to speak to a joint session, but in the meantime the Senate is passing recognitions for legislative employees. Kaine press secretary Gordon Hickey just dropped off the text of the Kaine's speech. It's embargoed until he delivers it, but I can tell you it's four pages, front and back.

12:14 -- Procedural start-up in both chambers is almost done. Committees from both chambers are off to inform Gov. Kaine that they're in the chamber and ready to work. In the meantime, the legislators are just kind of hanging out and talking.

12:08 -- The Senate is up and running.

12:05 -- And we've got our first procedural dust up. Majority Leader Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, is dueling with Del. Bob Brink, D-Arlington, over a controversial rules change from last session that lets the GOP leadership force controversial measures to the floor for a vote.

12:02 -- We're off and running in the House of Delegates.

Greetings from the press dungeon of the General Assembly Building on Capitol Square. The press corps, legislators, lobbyists and protesters have all arrived and are ready for the session, at least in theory.

There are no committee meetings scheduled for today, and only a handful of bills have made it into the hopper at the base of the marble staircase here at the GAB. Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will apparently address the legislators at 1 p.m.

Watch this space for updates as the session rolls on!