Sources tell us Sen. Kurita is a little frustrated that she isn't feeling the love from fellow Democrats and may be helping out the other team.

Kurita allegedly told senior members of the Governor's staff and at least one cabinet member that she won't vote for the Governor's Schools First cigarette tax increase because she isn't sponsoring the bill. This is apparently not the first time she has complained about not being chosen to sponsor the bill.

Kurita has in the past been a strong supporter of raising the cigarette tax, and sponsored a bill in 2005 that would have raised the tax to 60 cents, similar to the Governor's proposal except the money was to be used for TennCare and the general fund. It was rejected by the Senate Finance committee.

Kurita has also apparently complained that she can't get any bills passed in the House (other than a resolution honoring the Vanderbilt Women's Basketball team) and has even asked Gov. Bredesen to talk to Jimmy Naifeh about it.

There are also reports that she tipped off Republicans about Senate Democrat plans to amend the rules so that committee membership and leadership reflect the actual make up of the Senate (16 Democrats, 16 Republicans, 1 Independent) and told Republicans they should reinstate the rule requiring a 2/3 vote for rule changes in order to stop this. She supposedly told them they needed to do it while Senators Cooper and Ford were absent so that she could vote with the Democrats, giving her cover.