Give Michael Roberson credit for being crafty, at least

Back in 2011, state Sen. Michael Roberson was a freshman member of the minority party known for tossing bombs and angering everybody from the Republican governor to the Democratic majority leader.

Today, things have changed: Roberson is the state Senate minority leader known for tossing bombs and angering primarily the Democratic majority leader.

Witness his remarks at a Review-Journal editorial board meeting last week, in which he accused state Sen. Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, and members of Denis’ caucus of malpractice during the recent special session called to give Tesla Motors a $1.3 billion gift basket.

“The Senate Democratic caucus and its leadership are incompetent, and they’re failing the people of Nevada,” Roberson said. “The Senate Democrats have not got the job done.”

And why was Roberson so contemptuous of his Democratic colleagues? Because they weren’t running fast enough to deliver Tesla’s piping hot pizza-with-tax-credit toppings, of course! Don’t they know it’s 30 minutes or it’s free?

Instead, Democrats spent some time during the two-day special session arguing to try to save a film tax credit program approved by the 2013 Legislature that’s attracted scant interest thus far. Ultimately, however, every single Democrat got on board and voted “aye” on the Tesla deal.

Now, if a critic wanted to posit that the Democratic leadership was incompetent for failing to object without cessation that the Tesla deal was not in the best interests of Nevada taxpayers and withhold its votes on that basis, it would be difficult to argue. But to say they didn’t fall in line with Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval soon enough? Please.

It wasn’t that long ago — 2011, if memory serves — when Roberson himself was failing to fall in the line with the governor. After Sandoval moved to extend a package of supposedly temporary taxes in response to an unexpected court ruling, Roberson balked, saying it wasn’t necessary. He voted no, but the package passed anyway — thanks in part to support from those supposedly incompetent Democrats.

Today, Roberson is a big fan of those “sunset” taxes, and a self-proclaimed partner with Sandoval in doing all sorts of great things for the state, including funding education.

That last one really irks Democrats, in the state Legislature and out. See, in 2013, Roberson championed Senate Joint Resolution 15, a measure to remove from the state constitution the cap on the net proceeds of minerals tax. Originally the brainchild of Democratic state Sen. Sheila Leslie, Roberson embraced the idea of repealing the cap and putting a tax on mining to fund education on this year’s ballot as Question 2.

Democrats — apparently caught off guard by a pro-tax Republican — didn’t know what to do. They suspected Roberson was trying to kill The Education Initiative, which will also be on this year’s ballot as Question 3. Roberson admitted that was his goal.

Now, if a critic wanted to posit that the Democratic leadership was incompetent for failing to immediately embrace Roberson’s idea, it would be difficult to argue. In fact, Democrats could have had it all by replying that the idea was so good, it had to be passed into law immediately, contingent upon the passage of SRJ 15, thus avoiding a ballot fight this year. That would have put Roberson in a bit of a pickle.

But no.

Now, Roberson and his handpicked candidates for a couple of key state Senate seats are running, in part, on that tax idea. But there’s a twist: The usually loquacious Roberson has gone underground, canceling one scheduled TV debate with Democratic opponent Teresa Lowry and declining to schedule others. When asked what gives, Roberson either flees or makes excuses, such as “I think very few voters watch these debates.”

The Roberson of 2010 loved debates. The Roberson of the 2011 and 2013 Legislatures couldn’t get enough rhetorical combat. The Roberson of 2014 is still tossing bombs like he was the Green Goblin.

C’mon, senator. If the opposition really is as weak, incompetent and out of ideas as you say, it should be a walk in the park. Right?

Steve Sebelius is a Las Vegas Review-Journal political columnist who blogs at SlashPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter (@SteveSebelius) or reach him at 702-387-5276 or ssebelius@reviewjournal.com.