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Gov. Mark Warner and Sen. John Chichester personify the way good government is supposed to work: The Democratic governor and Republican state senator put aside partisan labels to work together to restore fiscal integrity to Virginia government.

For their deed, they were named Governing magazine's "Public Officials of the Year." Refusing to yield to anti-tax fanaticism, the policymakers championed the need for a tax increase to make critical investments in cash-starved services. The magazine noted their "skill" in persuading business leaders to support the tax initiative and mustering support "in a very skeptical legislature."

The award is deserved, but the praise doesn't do Warner and Chichester full justice. They didn't just prevent several more years of deteriorating services. They also might have driven a wedge between the GOP mainstream and fiscal extremists.

National tax opponent Grover Norquist poured derision on the tax plan and launched a campaign to unseat Republicans who voted for it. But that set off a tiff with Jerry Kilgore. The presumptive GOP gubernatorial nominee urged Norquist to stay out of the fight.

A lasting rift could make this a lasting victory.