March 18, 2004
Who Is Terry Coleman?
[Crossposted from the Georgia for Democracy blog.]
I thought I had a good idea. The stats tab him as the speaker of the state House. In theory, that should make him a top Georgia Democrat.
What makes me scratch my head, though, is a simple question: what kind of party do we have when the leadership pulls stunts like this?
A powerful Savannah Democrat blamed for holding up bills on tort reform and abortion lost his chairmanship Thursday -- a rare show of upheaval in the Democrat-controlled House.Rep. Tom Bordeaux, who was chairman of the powerful Judiciary Committee, was removed from the post by House Speaker Terry Coleman early Thursday. The news shocked Republicans and even fellow Democrats.
An aide for Coleman wouldn't elaborate on the firing -- "It was just philosophical differences," Allison Manning said -- but other party leaders said Bordeaux was blocking several measures Coleman wanted to see pass.
The measures included medical malpractice reform. Doctors want sweeping changes to trim jury awards in malpractice cases, but Bordeaux and other lawyers had insisted big changes weren't necessary.
The GOP blamed Bordeaux for bottling up dozens of proposals, including mandatory 24-hour waiting periods for women seeking abortions. Republicans often tried a legislative maneuver to force bills out of Bordeaux's committee, though they never succeeded.
But Coleman's decision to strip Bordeaux's title suggests Democrats wanted more bills to come out, too.
"I would say Mr. Bordeaux didn't represent the feelings of the majority of the caucus," said Rep. Richard Royal, a Camilla Democrat who leads another top committee, the tax-writing Ways & Means Committee.
Call me loco, but I want to know something: why does this caucus think it represents the feelings of the majority of Georgia Democrats?
Posted by Greg Greene at March 18, 2004 11:59 PM
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Kabuki!
There are at least four very good explanations for all of this.
First, Meaningless head fake. Bordeaux was replaced, by my count, on day 34 of the session. This is after drop-dead day when anything still in committee is killed anyway.
Second, Not too far right. He was replaced by Mary Margaret Oliver, who, until last week, represented one of the most progressive districts in Georgia. (i.e. mine)
Third, It was a -whole Party- headfake. It won't matter who the committee chairs are after this fall's elections if the leadership doesn't do something dramatic (preferably entirely symbolic, see "first") political maneuvering.
Lastly, Maybe it was just Terry. Even if the Capitol is swallowed by a sink hole in December, it won't matter to Terry Coleman unless he gets re-elected. Where is Terry's new district and how safe is it?
don't go for the headfake. watch the hips.
oh, and Go Jackets!
Posted by: Will at March 19, 2004 12:11 PM
This manuevering is way too passe for me. Bordeaux is a self-descrived "Progressive" from South Georgia. Why in the world Coleman would bump him after drop-dean day is beyond me. It's a PR nightmare for the House Democrats and a bad signal of things to come for November. I pray that Coleman will not be the standard message-bearer for the November Elections. We could do better with Bordeaux, Orrock, Oliver, Mitchell and others leading that charge who will definitely represent the real party.
Posted by: Tim Cairl at March 23, 2004 12:41 PM
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