Ralston beats out O'neal, Hembree for Speaker Post

Sorry I'm late today. Had to tend to some other business this morning. Now lets get to it.

David Ralston has been elected as the new Speaker of the House today by a vote of 55-48.

To tell you the truth, I;m a little shocked that Ralston won given all of the momentum Larry O'neal seemed to have going into this crucial vote. I thought the ties between O'neal & Gov. Sonny Perdue was enought to get him elected speaker instead of Ralston. I'll tell you right now, this can't be the change the republicans were talking. But Ralston was the only one who had the stones to challenge Glen Richardson for the gavel last year & it lookes like that might have paid off for him in this instance. He may do well as speaker, but will have to take a wait & see approach.

One of my questions will be the hawks? Will he (Ralston) keep the hawks, something Larry O'neal wanted to get rid of, or will they remain? If he keeps this system in place, you know it will be the same 'ol thing we have seen when Richardson was speaker.

One Legislator Gerald Greene (D-Cuthbert) is not surprised by the slection of Ralston as speaker. In an email I got back, Greene calls Ralston a "good natured" person & a good guy who will look after rural georgia. Now I'm waiting to see what develops at the other leadership positions for the republicans.