Politics is a hardball game and Czar Richardson needs to remember that he too has to come to bat.

From The Albany Herald:

The word is out in the Georgia House of Representatives — You are free to vote as your conscience dictates, provided your conscience doesn’t conflict with the house speaker’s desires.

[State Rep. Tom Graves has been] demoted and, basically, told to clean out his “locker.”

His offense? Siding with the governor over the speaker in voting for the 9th Congressional District representative to the state Transportation Board.

That apparently was too sore a point for House Speaker Glenn Richardson to overlook it. Richardson had wanted to make examples of Department of Transportation board members who sided with Gov. Sonny Perdue’s successful candidate for transportation commissioner over the candidate who was pushed by House leadership. Instead, the DOT board members who bucked House leadership in approving Gena Abraham for commissioner over state Rep. Vance Smith — including the 9th District’s Mike Evans — were returned to the DOT board.

Graves . . . meanwhile, has gone from a rising star in the Legislature to persona non grata as far as leadership is concerned. As a “hawk,” Graves could vote in any committee meeting. Now that privilege is gone, as well as his Capitol office. He’s the fourth representative — so far — to be stripped of influence for running afoul of Richardson, who apparently plans to rule the House with Murphyan authority.

There may be a growing problem with that plan, though. When Graves spoke from the well of the House to criticize his treatment, many of his colleagues applauded — something that rarely happens in the House. And comments reported from state senators indicate that many in that chamber see this as one more reason to question Richardson’s leadership qualities. If a group of Democratic representatives could work up the nerve some years back to challenge legendary Speaker Tom Murphy when he was at the height of his power, there’s no reason to think that the Republican Richardson is immune from the prospects of a mutiny.

Politics is a hardball game and Richardson has no qualms about throwing brushback pitches with abandon. But he might want to remember that he, too, has to come to bat.
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And Dick Pettys with InsiderAdvantage Georgia reports that:

Three more House members [besides tom Graves] have been stripped of important committee assignments for voting contrary to Speaker Glenn Richardson’s wishes in the race last Friday for the 9th District DOT seat, won by incumbent Mike Evans.