Switchers put GOP in control - In Georgia senate, 3 Democrats cross the aisle

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 11/9/2002 | JAMES SALZER & RHONDA COOK

[GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY]

"Why not switch before the vote if it would be the best thing for contituents?"

Because noone ever expected the Republicans to take the Governor's mansion, and the only way an old time Southern Democrat could have remained in the majority party was to sell his soul to the Rats. Now they all can come home to the Republican party.

[ChadGore]

Thank You Georgia W. Bush

[BradyLS]

I agree. I don't see how their switching parties is really much better for us. There are plenty of RINOs that vote with the Democrats as it is.

[WileyC]

Please, please cross that aisle. C'mon Zell, Join the Republicans!

He's far more valuable where he is. Here's a well-respected democrat, pretty much immune in any re-election bid (and from any serious hounding by the press especially with democrats in a minority), who publically calls democrats idiots to their faces. This only works for us if he is a democrat.

States that don't have principled democrats (i.e. nearly all of them other than Georgia), have got to look at their choice of candidates and turn away from the left. Zell is the Jiminy Cricket of the dems, constantly telling them how stupid they are being while their noses grow and grow and grow with each new lie. Where did pinocchio end up? A jackass, of course. =)

Zell is an example for everyone who is registered democrat but votes republican. For all these people, we need at least one Zell Miller!

[Amelia]

"This struggle is not over," said Taylor, who is striving to keep waffling Democrats in the fold. "I reached out to [Perdue] on election night, promised his agenda would be treated fairly in the Senate. At the same time, he's cutting all these backroom deals. This is a continuing process and I can assure you this process will continue right up until the Senate organizes."

I don't remember Taylor complaining about "backroom deals" when it was Roy Barnes cutting them...and Roy was King of the backroom deal.

Guess it just depends on whose ox is being gored, huh Marky?

[aristeides]

I think Southern Democrats are gonna need to put be on the "endangered species" list.

The Pelosi appointment could have that effect. I wonder how many members of the U.S. House will now switch. Speaking of GA, what are Jim Marshall's politics?

[aristeides]

Democrats hold 106 of the 180 state House seats, but the GOP is targeting about 10 rural Democrats in the House to switch, Republican officials said.

Anybody got any idea what the final lineup in the state House is going to be? If the Republicans end up with at least working majorities in the two houses, can they redistrict?

[AFPhys]

I strongly suspect that there will be more switchers in GA, probably 2.

We have not heard from the rest of the country yet, but it is likely we'll have some more in the mid-States before Jan.

[GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY]

"Anybody got any idea what the final lineup in the state House is going to be? If the Republicans end up with at least working majorities in the two houses, can they redistrict?"

Gut feeling says that the Republicans will have effective control of the House along with the Conservative Democrats. The Democrats will still control the house as far as the speakership and the committees go.

From what I understand, the Governor-elect can call a special session of the legislature at will and call for redistricting. He pretty much ran on a platform that he would do that. They presumably have the votes in the Senate right now to pass a new redistricting plan that puts geographical areas in the same district, and may have enough to have effective control of the House to redistrict the huge mess that Speaker Murphy and King Roy made with that map.

[FreedomPoster]

I lost an incumbent Rupublican State Senator to redistricting. The district is one of the most gerrymandered things you you ever saw. Runs from just south of the square in Roswell, down through Dunwoody, Brookhaven, West Decatur, to south of I-20. It only a few hundred yards wide in places.

I'd love to see a redistricting that puts Bart Ladd back in office.

[FreedomPoster]

Doh! RupublicanRepublican

[Teacher317]

I wonder how many members of the U.S. House will now switch.

The GOP should start dangling low-level appointments and promises of future help. Dems HATE to be out of power, their money machines (trial lawyers and unions) are going to dry up (now that the economy is down AND the Dems can't deliver on anything) and we can expand our lead everywhere. Our goal now is 60% of every House and Senate. Let that major party collapse (we haven't seen that happen in over a century!), and let them finally remove their masks and truly become the Socialist party or the Green Party (or both), in name as well as in substance.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

ROFLMAO!!!!!!

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

And to think Ted Turner has Sonny Perdue as his governor now. Heh heh.

[Bonaparte]

"Jim Jeffords sure set a good example, didn't he?"

The democrats are getting a crash course in unintended consequences -- not that they'll learn anything from it.

[WyCoKsRepublican]

From the great state of Kansas to our friends in Georgia. A new day has broken in your wonderful state! God Bless you in your endeavor to reshape the political landscape and way of doing business in GA.

[Atlantian]

I want to remind everyone the depth of the Democratic loses in GA. The Democrats lost the Governor, State Senate majority leader, the Speaker of the House, as well as one Senator.

[FryingPan101]

http://doody36.home.attbi.com/liberty.htm

THANKS!!!! I never knew how to do that!

[Atlantian]

the Confederate Cemetary miles away on Memorial Drive

You must mean Oakland Cemetary located in my neighborhood. It is the final resting place of five Confederate generals and approx. 2500 Confederate soldiers. Anyone visiting Atlanta should see it.