The upcoming ouster attempt promises to bring a more cooperative tone to the 180-member Georgia House & more on this coup by Dick Pettys.
From the AP:
House Speaker Glenn Richardson opened the last two legislative sessions with calls for unity and ended them with scathing attacks against leaders of his own Republican Party.
Now a group of frustrated Republicans led by state Rep. David Ralston are challenging the House leader, launching an ouster attempt that promises to bring a more cooperative tone to the 180-member chamber.
'The people of Georgia are wanting us to work together and get some things done,' said Ralston, an attorney from Blue Ridge. 'With the current climate we have, that's going to be extremely tough to do. I think we have an opportunity to do that.'
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Dick Pettys writes in InsiderAdvantage Georgia:
As coup attempts go, this one got off to a bit of a ragged start last week. Ralston and his band of rebels lost any hope of springing a surprise after word got back to the Speaker’s office of what was afoot, and then, instead of Ralston announcing his plans with a big splash, word of the effort began dribbling out to the public through reports on this site, some of the political blogs and elsewhere.
That’s one problem inherent in organizing any coup: you can never know for sure who will keep your plans a secret until they are ready to be announced and who will spill the beans.
Another problem is this: in any organization, whether political, social or religious, there always will be a certain percentage of members unhappy with the current leadership. But trying to determine who’s just talking a big game behind the scenes and who will really put their heads on the chopping block is a dicey thing. Hence the phrase: “lie factor.”
Too, an attack against the Speaker really isn’t just an attack on one man but rather the entire power structure he has put in place, including the committee chairs. So as the campaign starts off, the odds are stacked against the rebels.
On the other hand, for those who aren’t part of the power structure or aren’t yet where they want to be, throwing support behind a rebellion at the right time could pay big dividends - if it succeeds.
Ralston told Insider last week that if he loses [in the caucus in November], he won’t attempt to take the fight to the full Legislature in January (when all lawmakers, including Democrats, vote to elect a Speaker). Trying to forge a bipartisan coalition isn’t in the cards, he said.
House Speaker Glenn Richardson opened the last two legislative sessions with calls for unity and ended them with scathing attacks against leaders of his own Republican Party.
Now a group of frustrated Republicans led by state Rep. David Ralston are challenging the House leader, launching an ouster attempt that promises to bring a more cooperative tone to the 180-member chamber.
'The people of Georgia are wanting us to work together and get some things done,' said Ralston, an attorney from Blue Ridge. 'With the current climate we have, that's going to be extremely tough to do. I think we have an opportunity to do that.'
_______________
Dick Pettys writes in InsiderAdvantage Georgia:
As coup attempts go, this one got off to a bit of a ragged start last week. Ralston and his band of rebels lost any hope of springing a surprise after word got back to the Speaker’s office of what was afoot, and then, instead of Ralston announcing his plans with a big splash, word of the effort began dribbling out to the public through reports on this site, some of the political blogs and elsewhere.
That’s one problem inherent in organizing any coup: you can never know for sure who will keep your plans a secret until they are ready to be announced and who will spill the beans.
Another problem is this: in any organization, whether political, social or religious, there always will be a certain percentage of members unhappy with the current leadership. But trying to determine who’s just talking a big game behind the scenes and who will really put their heads on the chopping block is a dicey thing. Hence the phrase: “lie factor.”
Too, an attack against the Speaker really isn’t just an attack on one man but rather the entire power structure he has put in place, including the committee chairs. So as the campaign starts off, the odds are stacked against the rebels.
On the other hand, for those who aren’t part of the power structure or aren’t yet where they want to be, throwing support behind a rebellion at the right time could pay big dividends - if it succeeds.
Ralston told Insider last week that if he loses [in the caucus in November], he won’t attempt to take the fight to the full Legislature in January (when all lawmakers, including Democrats, vote to elect a Speaker). Trying to forge a bipartisan coalition isn’t in the cards, he said.
posted by Sid Cottingham | 10:00 AM
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