Political Dispatches: Sen. Snacks Finds a Sweet Spot

In Virginia's divided government, Bolling -- a silver-tongued insurance guy from Hanover whose fondness for sweets earned him, as a legislator, the nickname Senator Snacks -- is managing the seemingly unmanageable: He is the loyal opposition, but doesn't come across that way.

That may be rooted, in part, in the office. It's a part-time job, paying $36,321. The lieutenant governor has two responsibilities: He is the presiding officer of the Virginia Senate and becomes governor if the chief executive dies or quits. This means the lieutenant governor has lots of free time for the really important business: running for governor, or -- in Bolling's case -- seeking a second term, in hopes of standing for governor in 2013.

Since his narrow victory in 2005 over Democrat Leslie Byrne, Bolling has operated on two tracks. In the Senate, particularly since the Democratic takeover in 2007, Bolling has helped embolden the Republican minority with occasional tie-breaking votes and friendly parliamentary rulings. These include decisions spotlighting efforts by Democrats to raise taxes for transportation and health care.

On the hustings, when reaching out to independent voters who decide elections here, Bolling can dial back on partisanship or drop it altogether. When were dieting and good health -- Bolling very publicly makes much of his struggles with his weight -- Democratic or Republican issues?

Bolling -- facing minor opposition for renomination from Southwest Virginian Patrick Muldoon, whose conservatism makes Bolling's fairly rigid brand seem centrist -- may have a secret weapon for the fall: Democrat Jody Wagner.

Wagner is viewed as the favorite for her party's nomination for lieutenant governor. Before she became a candidate, Wagner was departing Gov. Timothy Kaine's finance secretary. She had a big say in the administration's fiscal calculations -- and miscalculations. Wagner's budgetary errors could have powerful resonance with voters rattled by the ailing economy. On Election Day, Bill Bolling may only have to show up. -- Jeff E. Schapiro