Posted on 08/10/2005 5:38:22 PM PDT by freedrudge
A seven-year legislative veteran has switched parties, giving Republicans 100 House seats and added momentum to the party going into the 2006 governor's race.
State Rep. Greg Morris, a Vidalia Democrat and party insider, is set to appear before friends and supporters in his hometown tomorrow to announce his defection to the GOP.
His decision bolsters the comfort level of the new Republican leadership, which now heads into the 2006 legislative session with nine more seats than they need to win any vote in the 180-member chamber.
His defection is significant for Democrats since Morris was part of former Democratic House Speaker Terry Coleman's inner circle until Republicans took over the House and the speaker's office last year.
He also was considered Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor's unofficial floor leader in the House and, in that position, was given the rare opportunity to sit in on closed-door meetings of the Senate leadership while lawmakers were in session.
But Morris, in an exclusive interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said Wednesday he increasingly found himself philosophically torn.
"On major issues that are important to me and the people I represent, I'm increasingly out of step with the Democratic Party," he said. "It doesn't make sense to belong to a caucus you vote against 90 percent of the time, and not belong to one you vote with 90 percent of the time."
A half dozen House Democrats switched to the Republican Party last year, when it appeared that the GOP had a chance to win the House and take total control of state government for the first time in 130 years.
Morris, who was re-elected last year with 53 percent of the vote, said he wanted to wait until he could see how Republicans would do when given the chance to lead.
"They ran the House in an orderly fashion, and they came through on many of the issues that were important to me and to them - pro-life, tort reform, ethics," he said. "I know they proved to me that they were good and the team I wanted to be on."
House Minority Leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin) said he believes Morris is making "a big mistake," particularly when popular Democratic Secretary of State Cathy Cox is planning to run for governor next year.
"In my opinion, it would not be the time to switch parties," Porter said. "Greg has been a good friend, but he must realize he is joining the group who has been against open government, who has been against small classrooms, against the HOPE scholarship and put 45,000 off of PeachCare (children's insurance program). This is not George Bush he's joining."
Rock on!
Sweet, a rat jumps ship with the secrets ,oh wait they don't have any.....
I wonder if I could get him to send me some of those great onions. MMMMmmMMmm.
Gee... that close Hackett race in Cincinnati must have scared him! NOT.
Some Republicans should ponder this.....
Georgia. Not really competative anyway.
Is this some power hungry born-again RINO or is he a Zell Miller type dem?
S. Ga. Legislator Switching Parties!
Republicans ready to claim 100th House member with Morris switch!
Republicans ready to claim 100th House member with Morris switch!
Republicans ready to claim 100th House member with Morris switch!
"They ran the House in an orderly fashion, and they came through on many of the issues that were important to me and to them - pro-life, tort reform, ethics," he said. "I know they proved to me that they were good and the team I wanted to be on."
He sounds like a Zell Miller type, not a RINO type.
This classic Democratic response is why they're losing. The Dems are overly concerned with appearances, and not concerned enough with substance.
180 members in the house alone?
That is a government pork dream!
Wasn't Dean just in Ga?
It helps when you read the whole article. But then again, ya never know.
If you had of told me even 4 yrs ago that the GA House would be GOP, I would have called you nuts!
Most of his supporters will go with him. Everyone is sick of the anti American democRAT party.
"Is this some power hungry born-again RINO or is he a Zell Miller type dem?"
"His defection is significant for Democrats since Morris was part of former Democratic House Speaker Terry Coleman's inner circle until Republicans took over the House and the speaker's office last year.
He also was considered Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor's unofficial floor leader in the House and, in that position, was given the rare opportunity to sit in on closed-door meetings of the Senate leadership while lawmakers were in session..."
So he could be BOTH. They might want to be careful with this feller...
He should have started his own party ...
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