When Speaker Richardson dictated that GOP legislators would focus on & follow his four "core values," he didn't say this did not include himself.

As we witness the undoing of rules imposed by House Speaker Glenn Rickardson in 2005 that gave him unprecedented power in such role, much of the talk will be about his creation of hawks, legislators named by the Speaker who could jump into committee votes at the Speaker's direction.

In a 01-11-05 post entitled "The British are coming! The British are coming! - Should we get our guns (won't work with these hawks), consult Machiavelli, or just read 1984 again," I said of the hawk system:

This is taking control to a new level, something way beyond to the victor go the spoils.

In this round of readjustment by the State GOP, it is very likely that we will witness the disappearance of the hawk system, and this is good, very good.

But probably not so good will be the holier than thou posturing and even legislation that will be discussed as the pendulum undoubtedly swings to the other extreme from that asssociated with the present Speaker. As Jim Galloway of the AJC's Political Insider quips:

It is possible that we will find bills for chastity belts in the year-end financial reports of some lawmakers.

Further, Mr. Galloway notes:

Something billed as ethics reform will pass the General Assembly next year. Republican repentance requires it.

Which leaves me to recall something that may have been overlooked in all of the current Speaker scandal. Wouldn't have been so much better if Richardson himself had followed what he dictated would be the focus of GOP legislators soon after the November 2, 2004 election, his so-called "core values."

As reviewed in my above-noted post:

Those were to reduce the size of government, strengthen family values, reduce taxes and encourage personal responsibility.