J. Scott Leake, executive director of the Virginia Senate Republican Leadership Trust, the political arm of the chamber's top Republicans, objected to what he called the anti-tax effort to "brand" Virginia's lawmakers.
"Branding is for cattle, not Republicans. But if we're going to be branded, at least it ought to be by people with a track record of political success, preferably in Virginia," Leake said. "They can blather about taxes but have no answers of their own."
The anti-tax activists repeated their main frustration with the Republican lawmakers in Virginia, saying that they lied about their intent to raise taxes when they were elected to office the last time.
Ben Krause, vice chairman of the Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance, decried what he called "the truth decay" in Richmond.
Norquist said his and other groups will use whatever resources they can muster to get rid of the Republicans pictured on the poster. And he said he is not concerned by wealthy business executives' pledges of support for the pro-tax Republicans.
"They have a problem," he said of the lawmakers. "They voted for the tax increase. I don't care how much money they raise, they can't get away from the fact they lied to get into office and did a very bad and destructive thing for Virginia."
Ellen Qualls, spokeswoman for Warner, said the tax increase was not a bad thing for the state.
"They might want to check with the sheriffs -- who supported the tax reform plan because it offered fair pay for law enforcement officers -- about the use of a giant sheriff's badge in their poster art."
