State GOP leaders doing their job

Given that their Democratic Party has solid control of both legislative chambers, the reaction by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's top aides to last week's press conference by the legislature's Republican minority seemed disproportionately combative and defensive.

Did the Republican drilling get too close to a nerve?

House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr. of Norwalk and Senate Minority Leader John P. McKinney of Fairfield largely did what one would expect of the loyal opposition. They attempted to poke a few holes in the administration's budget proposal and reminded everyone of the tax increases approved by the governor and the Democratic majority.

As the Malloy administration was quick to point out, there is no small measure of hypocrisy in these two GOP leaders challenging the current administration's level of fiscal honesty. We don't recall such criticism from these same Republicans when the past two Republican governors proposed budgets that were arguably far less honest and viable.

"For 16 years under Republican governors, Rep. Cafero and Sen. McKinney held exactly zero press conferences to highlight the financial games the governors from their party were playing. Zero," said the governor's top budget official, Benjamin Barnes.

Fair enough. Yet those who follow the legislature closely know that Republican leaders quietly stewed over the budgets that Gov. M. Jodi Rell worked out with the Democratic majority in the last couple years of her administration. And the Republican minority had urged Gov. Rell to veto the last budget passed by the Democratic majority during her time in office, the one that sent Connecticut into a deep fiscal abyss.

Instead Gov. Rell passively let it become law without her signature. And the Republicans did hold press conferences criticizing that budget and offering alternatives.

Gov. Malloy deserves all due credit for setting policies that have the state in far better fiscal shape than the train wreck he inherited. But did the administration really expect the Republican leadership to toss some post-Valentine's Day hearts and flowers to the Democratic governor? One would have thought so from some of the administration comments.

"He has not gotten the credit he deserves. They've made it pretty clear they intend to run against this governor and his record on fiscal issues," said the governor's senior advisor, Roy Occhiogrosso.

Somehow, we don't see it as the minority party's role to worry about giving the majority party governor due credit. And it's a surprise that Republicans will be running against the governor on his fiscal policy and tax hikes?

Mr. Occhiogrosso charged Rep. Cafero and Sen. McKinney with standing idly by as Gov. John G. Rowland and Gov. Rell "drove this state into a ditch. For them to now criticize the person who's pulling that car out of the ditch and getting back on the road is laughable." You can almost see the sneer.

News flash: It is up to he minority party to criticize and challenge the majority party, and Gov. Malloy doesn't get a pass. Some of the issues raised by Rep. Cafero and Sen. McKinney are fair points of debate. The Malloy budget assumes economic growth of 5.7 percent, double what most economists are anticipating. The administration may be too quick to declare victory in ending the fiscal crisis and risks back sliding. Gov. Malloy is open to questioning for projecting future surpluses based on spending cuts he has not identified.

Small as it is, the Republican minority can play an important role by confronting the majority and holding it accountable.