Gov. Jim Gibbons fired back today at state Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, in a statement accompanying the release of his newest video message posted on the Internet. Readers will recall that Horsford called Gibbons a coward for backing away from an oft-repeated declaration that he’d sign that bill increasing room taxes to pay for education. (Gibbons said he’d let the bill become law, but without his signature.)

Gibbons, in turn, accused Horsford of cowardice for not having the stones to say he supports taxes. (Horsford does support taxes, right? After all, he’s made conflicting statements on that score.)

“Taking affirmative steps to hide proposed tax hikes from the citizens is true cowardice on the part of Senator Horsford and certain other members of the legislature,” Gibbons said in the statement. “Senator Horsford and his tax-hiking colleagues should show at least some honor and integrity by getting their tax hike plans out in the open so the public knows just what he and his associates are planning.”

Bam! Oh, Gibbons just so threw down! Why, state Democratic leaders must be burning up in anger! We’ll just bet they’re on the way to a news conference RIGHT NOW to announce the largest tax increase in state history! Right? Are we right, people? What’s that? NO news conference? Well, maybe more Gibbons quotes will do the trick!

“There is no excuse for Senator Horsford and his cohorts to wait any longer,” Gibbons said. “He keeps making excuses about waiting for new tax revenue figures that won’t be available for weeks or months, this is clearly an attempt to mislead the citizens and hide certain legislators’ true ‘tax hike’ agenda.”

Oh, man, that Horsford. What a pussy, waiting for things like “revenue figures” and “facts” and “knowledge” before he makes a decision! Doesn’t he know leadership is all about opening your mouth and saying words, no matter whether they’re true, or “factual” or whatever? Seriously, has Horsford never seen Gibbons give a speech?

And there’s more:

Gibbons also noted that tax hikes during this tough economic time will kill jobs and will needlessly delay much-needed economic growth in Nevada. “These certain legislators who are promoting an array of tax hikes need to look beyond the next day into next year and the next decade and beyond,” Gibbons said. “If they do that, they will take their job-killing and recession-extending tax hike plans and throw them away, then we can all work together to solve Nevada’s economic crisis. Our citizens deserve nothing less.”

Oh, man, Gibbons just totally pwned the entire tax-hiking Legislature! We haven’t heard anything this persuasive since we bought that ab machine that also cuts tomatoes and tin cans! (We’re recovering nicely, by the way.) We just bet that Horsford is on the phone RIGHT NOW to tell us his entire tax plan.

What’s that? No calls. How can that be? Horsford DID read this statement, right? He IS paying attention to Gibbons, isn’t he? Seriously, is our phone broken? How about the cell? Nothing? That is really, really odd…