The line has been clearly and unmistakenly drawn in the sand. It's Perdue & Cagle vs. Richardson.

According to the AJC, Lt. Gov. Cagle had the following comment about Gov. Perdue's decision to not call a special session and his line-item veto of the tax rebate:

"Leadership is about stepping forward with solutions in situations where compromise seems beyond reach," said Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who has sided with Perdue during the budget fight, praised the governor's decision.

"The Governor exercised strong character and courageous leadership today, and I am proud to be on his team."

And on 5-6-07, the Political Insider noted the following in a fascinating post entitled "The constitutional confrontation behind the current teapot tempest:"

On Friday [May 4, 2007], Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle had a conference call with his Republican senators. He passed on a message from the governor. Any bill sponsored by a House member would need a senator to vouch for it before the governor would sign it, the lieutenant governor said.

In other words, Perdue has designated the Senate the gatekeeper of the Legislature.

We could be witnessing the most significant confrontation over power in state government since Gov. Lester Maddox allowed the Legislature its independence. The House is engaging in a fight for “institutional equality with the governor,” in the words of Charles Bullock, the political scientist at the University of Georgia.

“You could call this another step in a march that began in 1966 and 1967,” said Bullock. “If you’re looking for influence, you have to take it away from the governor. Even four years ago, he had all of it.”

To get his way on tax policy next year, Richardson must beat back a now-hostile governor and a Senate that won’t want to become a mere third wheel when it comes to who rules Georgia.

Win or lose, that means a messy fight in an election year, and a legislative session that could become even more fractious and unproductive.