Georgia House GOP needs to pick new leaders carefully
The transition from Speaker Glenn Richardson to the next leader of the Georgia House will not be as scripted as first thought. Republican backbenchers bucked at the suggestion of a “show must go on” scenario.
Good for them. Georgians are not interested in seeing the House leadership carrying on, in either sense of the phrase.
A new direction, however, has yet to be set. The fallout from Richardson’s resignation — which came after his ex-wife alleged that he’d cheated on her with a lobbyist a few years back — has revealed a fractured House GOP caucus with serious misgivings about the way it had been led. A caucus vote on a new leadership team is scheduled for Thursday.
Here’s an idea: Give strong consideration to naming an interim leadership team.
Exactly six weeks will pass between Susan Richardson’s Nov. 30 television interview, which started this tumult, and the Jan. 11 start of the 2010 legislative session. Thursday’s caucus vote will take place less than halfway through that already short time period. That is precious little time for the kind of process House Republicans need to pursue.
First there’s the vetting that needs to take place. Choosing new leaders without zipper problems, or other ethical/moral/legal issues, is paramount.
The revelation of Glenn Richardson’s affair kicked up a lot of dust relating to other members’ private lives. More rumors hang in the air. If the caucus chooses poorly this week, it may find there is no third strike.
But clean isn’t the only criterion, and members need to think holistically about their next leaders. Right now there is an urgent impulse for “stability, maturity and experience…a Denny Hastert at every slot,” as Rep. Rich Golick, a Smyrna Republican and candidate for speaker pro tempore, has put it.
Stability sounds nice right now, and it’s true that Hastert — the Illinois Republican who became speaker of the U.S. House after Newt Gingrich stepped down — was a steadying force. But he also presided during congressional Republicans’ self-destruction, a time of big government, earmarks and a general betrayal of conservatism.
I’m not suggesting that Golick or anyone else in the running so far would lead the House or the state down such a path. But members run such risks if they make a decision with long-term implications in the shadows of today’s scandal.
Better to choose a “stability team” for now and pledge to revisit the question when there’s more time to debate the vision and governing style various candidates offer. Members of this interim slate may want to run again later and should be free to do so. The House needs stop-gaps, not necessarily mere seat warmers.
This approach isn’t without its own holes. One of them is the fact that the speaker traditionally is a powerful force in election campaigns, which House members will face next year.
Here again, though, a bad choice would not help matters for Republicans — and an attitude of seriousness, even humility, would serve the party well in November 2010. Make no mistake, the GOP majority’s attitude will be an issue in that election.
The electorate next fall will also judge all members, R’s and D’s, on how they deal with a treacherous budget situation, an overdue solution on transportation and other issues.
Along with seriousness of thinking, legislators need to display simple governing competence. All the more reason to choose a House leadership team that will focus chiefly on the current agenda and put the internal politics on pause.
Of course, politics will be served sooner or later. But a caucus so rocked and split can’t expect much good to come from “sooner.” Nor can the rest of us.
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36 comments Add your comment
Icarus
December 11th, 2009
8:58 pm
Institutional arrogance apparently makes one politically tone deaf. For whatever reason, they’re not listening to their voters. They’re listening to each other who have observed and condoned this behavior for years without repercussion. They’ll find religion again when they’re in the minority again.
Chris Broe
December 11th, 2009
9:56 pm
CNN just reported that another croquet tournament official claims that Tiger Woods was an entrant. New reports are surfacing that Tiger was seen on a frisbee golf course…….
That’s right. Tiger was cheating on Golf.
Michael H. Smith
December 11th, 2009
10:18 pm
Right now I’d gladly settle for a few statesmen. We have far too many politicians R and D already.
Logical Dude
December 11th, 2009
10:35 pm
“Choosing Leaders without zipper problems, or other ethical/Moral/ Legal issues, is paramount”. BWAHAHAHAHA. “you ain’t from round heyah, are ya?”
ALL of them lie in the same bed, BOTH sides of the aisle. EVERYBODY’S zipper is down, and they are all scared to admit it. I’d respect the gentleman or gentle lady that comes forward and says “Yes, I had an affair, it hurt my family/ caused my divorce/ was a great time for all.” That’s MUCH more believable than the current hypocrites that cry “family values” and are caught with their pants down.
Michael H. Smith
December 11th, 2009
11:34 pm
Kyle, have you ever noticed how the more you mess with crap the worse becomes its’ stench?
It’s time to move a positive agenda to the fore conservatives. It is time to stop messing around with talking about whose zipper is down or who is wearing a chastity belt and start concerning ourselves with whose family is down and out – of a job or of a home or on the verge thereof, out of both! Those are the values most Georgian and American families care about hearing discussed at the moment and have something immediately done about from those we have elected in our government. Which has thus far failed miserably.
The best way to even begin to start dealing with the state budget is to improve the employment roles and income levels in this state . Otherwise, accept this economically and grammatically challenged fact:
We ain’t got the money to do nothin’. Roads, schools, water, you name it.
In case anyone is unaware of what destroys or causes most of the problems in marriages, it relates to money (the real “family value”) not infidelity.
Hillbilly Deluxe
December 12th, 2009
12:49 am
It’ll be a power play, same as it’s always been. Doesn’t matter if you call them D or R, the Legislature has always been about positioning and power. It probably even predates Gene Talmadge.
Skip
December 12th, 2009
7:44 am
Just keep electing the same good old boys, it’s worked well so far.
Lewis
December 12th, 2009
8:26 am
The Repubs need to address the key issues including education, finance, water, transportation, transparency, and ethics. They also need to demonstrate they will no longer tolerate cronyism, hypocrisy, and ignoring the interests of the public.
Will
December 12th, 2009
8:54 am
I wish, but certainly know he/she will not, the next Speaker would be the Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives and not the Speaker of republican members of the Georgia House of Representatives.
What’s that you say – when democrats controlled the House, they had no interest in having a Speaker of the House of Representatives? So, is that your standard to which you strive, being no better than democrats?
Road Scholar
December 12th, 2009
9:08 am
Kyle, these legislators have for over the past year walked the halls together, debated their positions, taken lobbyist’s gifts and food, had/not had affairs and have talked about their indignation and righteousness. If they don’t know their co-horts by now then they never will. Heck, now everyone says that Richardson’s affair was know by all (except maybe members of the ethics committee!).
I propose that these people, D & R, take the time of Christmas to revisit their roots, christian or otherwise, and determine for themselves what they stand for. It’s about time they look inside themselves, not their party, to define where they are going with their lives and the state. They need to also consider the veiws and desires (not sexually) of their constituents, but, even more importantly, the needs of our state.
Leadership is not only doing what you are told or what is politically correct in their party. It’s making the tough decisions and working hard to improve our state and the plight of all people, not just the rich, the needy, the loudest.They can begin by listening,considering others views, and being respectful and courteous of others regardless of their affiliation, something sorely missing in most of these blogs.
May God help them and us.
Peter
December 12th, 2009
9:40 am
Kyle…..It is not just about the Legislators downtown, we also need a Governor who is going to do something.
Please tell me he has a “Back Up Plan”, for the Atlanta water situation. We have already lost the water decision, and he continues to peruse the same.
What does anyone know about the next water plan if we continue to loose in the courts ?
Are we to pray for a reservoir to just emerge ?
willie
December 12th, 2009
10:23 am
Kyle, you say pick your new leaders carefully and I agree. But what is required for leadership? Personally, I believe leadership is not prevalent in elected members. However, the next to last paragraph is good and I agree. The electorate must decide if Progressive liberalism or Conservatism will guide us iaw the constitution as it is written. The electorate must be informed by true conservatives and not the moderate nor the liberals in conservative clothing what is best for the future of Georgia and America. The conservatives must maintain their principles because that is America’s principles. That is true but we only hear the tiny minority demands because of the liberal lame media. The word must get out. I have learned as a child incantations work. The conservative must continue proclaiming the same values and be not persuaded by the special interest groups.
Again the electorate must be aware of liberals in conservative clothing!!!
We are human and some make mistakes but we make them great mistakes. Just ask Tiger!
JohnD
December 12th, 2009
12:12 pm
Conservatives in the Georgia Assembly, just like the Conservative GOP Majority in Congress from 1994 to 2006, have both proved the same thing. They profess superior morals and good governance — but fail miserably at both. Certainly democratic legislators are no better — but at least they are not as hypocritical on moral issues as the Republicans are. The dems are certainly hypocrites too — but on different issues.
In Georgia I always vote against Republicans — not because I like the dems – but because the moralizing GOP is in power and I’m tired of the holier than thou attitude. Maybe if the dems were in power I’d vote for the GOP… provided you could find a Republican who wasn’t a complete hypocrite.
Good luck with that.
Democrats are Corrupt, Repukes are Lying Scum
December 12th, 2009
12:50 pm
We should just abolish the whole georgia state government thing, and ask Alabama to make Georgia a ward of that State. As Step State Children of Alabama, we could all learn how it feels to be adopted.
One tired American
December 12th, 2009
2:12 pm
Whatever these Republicans decide, they need to chose a leader who doesn’t owe Sonny Perdue a meal ticket. He and his henchpersons have done more to set this state back and are an embarrasment to genuine Republicans. Can’t wait for this lame duck and his conservative hypocrites to crawl back into their caves.Georgians would do well to vote the rascals out with their quack quack leader in 2010.
Chris Broe
December 12th, 2009
2:42 pm
How wide was the Cheshire Cat grin on Sonny’s face when he commented about why they didn’t allow any press inside the house caucus yesterday? “Family Matters”.
It’s good the assembly gets with their family so close to the holidays.
Family values are a refreshing change of pace from all this tiger talk. Tiger should play in the upcoming tournament he’s ducking. Imagine the ratings! The best way to silence the media is to get out in the sunshine and play his brand of golf. He should invite all the bimbos to join the cheering throngs. Just show the world that it’s biz as usual. Why not? If anyone boo’s on a golf course they’ll get thrown out. Fast.
Tiger is making one dumb mistake after another by not being himself. Just do it, Tiger.
And that Falcon bombshell yesterday. Babineaux! What a disaster! What are Americans becoming? A bunch of stoned philanderers?
And what’s with window tinting anyway? If it’s illegal, then why are there businesses set up to tint your windows so dark you can’t see inside? I see that all the time, and yes, it IS obnoxious, but I never see the law enforced. What, RU so gansta that nobody can look into your car windows or you’d have to wax them? Step aside for the East Coast/West Coast tint-off. What do these players do at the drive-thru Mickey D’s? “You wanna roll your window down, Tupac, here’s your happy meal.”
Anyone else totally fed up?
Da Bard
December 12th, 2009
3:20 pm
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing
Or if you prefer Lord Action:
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Expect nothing to change in the Georgia General Assembly.
You will not be disappointed.
Algonquin J. Calhoun
December 12th, 2009
4:57 pm
The fallout from Richardson’s resignation — which came after his ex-wife alleged that he’d cheated on her with a lobbyist a few years back
It’s far more than cheating Kyle! Richardson was having an affair with a lobbyist and he did everything he could to make sure her client’s agenda was attended to in an expeditious manner. He stalked his wife, sending unwanted emails and calling incessantly. He attempted suicide(lame try) and from his hospital bed, called her and asked if she wanted to take him back then. Investigations of Richardson’s abuse of power and his total lack of ethics should be begun and when, not if, illegal activity is found he should be prosecuted. Richardson, like all Republinazis, represents the interests of the rich and elite and fills his own pockets with cash at the expense of the people he’s supposed to represent! Let’s get rid of this dishonest party for good!
norman ravitch
December 12th, 2009
5:28 pm
The Georgia GOP has one real commitment and that will be enough: it is white.
Gerald West
December 13th, 2009
5:02 am
Why does it matter? The Republican-dominated Legislature and the Republican governor don’t do anything anyhow. Who cares which yo-yo replaces the present yo-yo?
Please write about something of interest, Kyle.
Chris Broe
December 13th, 2009
9:09 am
Kyle Wingfield cannot resist placing links in his daily narrative to the blogosphere, (how I hate that word). There are more partisan blogs than there are flying monkeys from Oz, which is only slightly less than the # of Tiger bimbos.
Surely the average voter could not spend the time it would take to visit every single pundit’s website, so the goal of this interlinked network must be to spread the approved policy slant as far and wide as possible. This can only have the effect of focusing the opinion like some gigantic magnifying glass pointed at the democrants, burning them mercilessly into vapor and leaving behind only Glenn Beck’s chalk-outlined justification for all the charred carcases. Oh, the Hume-Hannity!
Each day, each pundit must visit a sample of the links on his own website to gain a flavor of each topic’s approach. Kyle’s opinion never strays too far from the basket of talking heads that ripen and fall from the living emoticon tree on Fox News. That must explain the lumps on his head, and you’d think by now he would have endorsed gravity .
But the Partisan Punditry Network (PPN) has no room for science, except to recklessly spin the data base of mean global temperatures.
The ironic effect of all this is to narrow the spectrum of opinion so that unique local considerations are swept away, setting up a federal advantage over the states, and statewide advantages over the counties, until America is just one big fat government cheeseburger.
SUBURBAN OVERLORD
December 13th, 2009
10:01 am
Excellent analysis of an ugly situation for the GOP. However, I disagree with the seriousness of Republicans’ losing power in the 2010 election cycle. As Huey Long used to say years ago in Louisiana, the only way they will lose is if they get caught in bed “with a live boy or a dead girl.”
Kyle – Check the political pedigrees of the GOPs state leadership – they are former Democrats who switched colors when Sonny won in 2002 so they could stay in committee leadership positions. They are political prostitutes of the darkest kind – closeted “Dixiecrats.”
For many of us businesses-oriented Republicans’ in metro Atlanta, our jaws have dropped to the floor about state leadership. The situation is MUCH worse than what you read in the papers.
The party leaderships’ current tactics are based around one core principle: rally the rest of the state against a common enemy (metro Atlanta), a cynical and destructive tactic that our closeted “Dixiecrat” rural Republican leadership team learned from past depression-era racist governors. The spoils looted from pillaging metro Atlanta tax receipts are then spent in their rural districts – fiscal prudence only applies to spending in metro Atlanta.
There is no hope with the current crop of party leaders. It will take redistricting in 2011-2012 to change the state dynamics enough to extract these cancerous party leaders from our state. Real caucus leadership changes will have to wait until the 2014 election cycle.
Churchill's MOM
December 13th, 2009
10:43 am
Denny Hastert was basically a front man for Tom Delay, is that what we need? Richardson was basically Tom Delay without a front man. Georgia needs better than Sonny’s personal lawyer, we deserve something better than same things over and over.
dewstarpath
December 13th, 2009
11:22 am
C. Broe (9:09 am Dec 13) – Great post.
JohnD
December 13th, 2009
12:40 pm
Let’s see — the problems with the GOP leadership is that they are all former democrats?
Lame logic Suburban Overlord. Those leaders were elected as Republicans and reelected as Republicans by Republican voters in a very Red state.
But when they misbehave, its the dems fault?
That’s as stupid as Newt Gingrich claiming that Susan Smith (of South Carolina) drowned her kids because of pernicious liberalism (in South Carolina?). How did she defend her horrific crimes? She claimed she was sexually abused by her father — the local Chairman of the GOP. Family values GOP style. But its really the democrats fault.
Face it, 8 years of one-party GOP rule in Georgia has been a failure:
No progress on transportation;
No progress on water infrastructure;
Pray for rain, litigate and then blame the feds;
Sweetheart land and tax deals for the Governor;
Toothless ethics investigations;
Declining schools (move over Mississippi);
and you would blame the democrats for all of this as well?
One-party rule by the democrats led to similar abuses. But one-party rule by the GOP is just as bad.
Quit your whining and try to accept some responsibility. Its supposed to be a GOP value — but it appears that the real GOP value is hypocrisy.
Go fish.
Real Athens
December 13th, 2009
12:55 pm
If history teaches anything it is: “we don’t learn from history”. The Republicans of today are no different than the Dixiecrats of yore. It seems today’s leaders, drunk with power, use it to enrich their personal lives in a more “personal” manner. That makes it funny coming from the morals party. In the days of yore, the power drunk Dixiecrats enriched their pocketbooks: Sonny is clearly cut from this cloth. Oh yeah, I forgot, he was one of them.
Folks need to abandon loyalty to any party. Get to know the candidate outside of one or two non-issues: abortion, immigration, gay marriage. Find out where they really stand on issues that EFFECT YOU, not your belief system and vote beyond party lines. We have a built in revolution — the ballot box. Pay a little more attention and you can change things.
Churchill's MOM
December 13th, 2009
2:10 pm
“My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician.” Harry S. Truman
UNO
December 13th, 2009
4:35 pm
Which is the greater oxymoron and which is the greater accuracy? Conservative Republican, Conservative Right, or Conservative Wrong? I report, you decide.
AF
December 13th, 2009
5:10 pm
From AJC 12-13-09: “Rep. Jim Cole (R-Forsyth) said last week anyone who wants his vote for speaker needed to sign a good-conduct pledge that included such requirements as being faithful to one’s spouse.”
Of greater public importance is the ethical violation of promoting legislation that favors one’s lover’s employer. The party of the Right and rightous could have the intestinal fortitude to honestly and throughly investigate cases when a politician has an affair with someone seeking support for any legislation. If the politician tried in any way to influence the wording of the bill or passage of the bill, then the politician should be expelled from any positions of power within the party and publically identified. Those who are silent in the face of such malfeasance are guilty of perpetuating it.
I may not like the morals of married people who have affairs, but I am not necessarily affected. I am affected every time a politician sells his vote, whether it is for money or to impress or reward a lover or would be lover.
We need to see consequences for the politicians misuse of his position, not for his sins. God will take care of that.
HouseOfCardsHasFallen
December 13th, 2009
6:50 pm
Quoting Kyle: “Here’s an idea: Give strong consideration to naming an interim leadership team.”
Interim leadership team? Forget about interim, how about any leadership team.
Not to be found.
Pathetic bunch of perverted misfits.
Back in Black
December 13th, 2009
8:34 pm
David Ralston strikes exactly the right balance. He is a solid conservative, a listener, and has the experience to convey solid leadership.
Ralston also comes from a safe Republican legislative district so would not put the GOP through the embarrassing position of having a Speaker defeated next November.
He used to serve in the Senate, as well (until he ran against Thurbert Baker in 1998), which would help him considerably as a Speaker.
Finally, he’s independent of the Governor and doesn’t owe a thing to anyone.
David Ralston is exactly the right person for the job.
GaLiberal
December 13th, 2009
11:22 pm
We are talking about republiNazis here, right? Somehow I don’t think ‘carefully’ is in their vocabulary. Their election and re-election of that flame bomber Richardson just proves that they are only interested in shoving their narrow moralistic point of view down everyone’s throat.
bulldog
December 14th, 2009
12:29 am
The batch of candidates that are now running for Speaker are far superior to what we have had in Richardson, Burkhalter and Keen. But, I agree, David Ralston stands out as the best. Many of the changes all the candidates are now calling for were things he proposed when he ran against Richardson last time. He has shown courage and independence-going against what was wrong when others were too scared to say or do anything. He will also work to protect and build on a Republican majority in Georgia.
Joan
December 14th, 2009
9:16 am
Decent and intelligent appear to have nothing to do with being a politician these days. Too bad. I guess all it really takes is money, and the willingness to do anything for it. You can sum up both a politician and a whore in the same way.
Joan
December 14th, 2009
9:18 am
I must have used a word that is banned. Anyway, what I said was intelligence and honesty have nothing to do with politics these days. Politicians will do anything for money, pretty much the same as the ladies of the night will.
StevenCee
December 16th, 2009
1:36 am
I’m impressed by most comments here today, from both sides, how refreshing!
My main question, to Kyle, and also the paper’s reporters:
Why is there so much media attention paid to Tiger Woods, all urging that he “should” come forward, bare his soul, and “explain” what is quite frankly, none of our damn business, meanwhile, the absolute mess, both moral & legal, of Richardson’s actions, the Speaker of the House, no less, is given short thrift?
Worse, the little “family meeting”, closed to the public, and reporters, was bad enough, but most outrageous: WHY was the current Speaker (Burkhalter) able to completely stonewall the press for a solid week, even going so far as to sneak in & out of the caucus meeting???
He is REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE, not simply a high-profile athlete, with a personal problem, so where are the demands that he “face the people”, and “come clean”? Why has he suddenly decided not to become the sitting Speaker, are there skeletons in HIS closet? If Richardson’s affair was “common knowledge”, why have the statements of those high-ranking Republicans closest to him, denying any knowledge, going unchallenged?
I think we do deserve more transparency from those on the public payroll, yet our media corps believes it’s more important to their mission, to hound & pester private citizens, demanding THEY come clean, what’s up with this upside-down mess?