If a Democrat Can Do It...
Maryland has a budget gap. Maryland's outgoing Democrat governor is responding by cutting spending. Even better news: the income Republican governor wants to reduce spending even more.

From the Washington Times:

Gov. Parris N. Glendening introduced a plan yesterday to eliminate the state's estimated $498 million budget deficit by imposing spending cuts for most agencies but avoiding layoffs for state workers. Mr. Glendening said the plan, which spared K-12 education from cuts, would leave Gov.-elect Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. a balanced budged and $646.7 million in cash reserves when he takes office in January. The plan called for cutting $172 million in spending and taking $189 million from the state's $500 million revenue-stabilization fund — informally known as "the rainy-day fund."

"It's a start and it's just a start," said Paul Schurick, spokesman for the Ehrlich transition team. Mr. Schurick also said the plan needs to be examined closely because it appeared to rely mostly on one-time savings and does little to reduce next year's anticipated $1.5 billion budget shortfall. "The cost of state government has got to shrink," he said.

Why is it that some Democrats - like Maryland Gov. Paris Glendenning and Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove can hold the line on spending or even cut spending to handle revenue shortfalls, while Republican governors like Kenny Guinn in Nevada and Mike Huckabee in Arkansas feel that they must raise taxes first, rather than reduce spending? Did our guys learn by watching Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist in action?

Perish the thought.

The good news for Maryland taxpayers is, Ehrlich isn't following the Sundquist model.