Georgia State Senate Proxy War: SD 28 and SD 50
by PV
Rumors have it that the skirmish that made headlines all over the state between Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and the senate GOP caucus leadership in the waning days of this year’s General Assembly is now being fought in hand-to-hand combat in two battle theaters: The State Senate District 50 and State Senate District 28 run-offs to be held this coming Tuesday, December 6.
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle has endorsed two candidates in these run-offs:
1) Recently endorsed John Wilkinson in the 50th in his run-off against current State House legislator Rick Austin. (Source: online news article)
2) Recently endorsed Duke Blackburn in the 28th district, in his run-off against Mike Crane. ( Source: Blackburn’s website)
Now, an inattentive observer of the Lt. Governor’s involvement in these two races might not think much beyond the fluffy hug-fests stuffed into press releases as to the reasons why Cagle would be making moves to make endorsements in two special election races in which all 4 candidates are running as Republicans.
But, when attentive observers look more closely at the LG’s endorsements, there is an indication of a deliberate strategy of a personal political gain behind the endorsements.
During the original skirmish (i.e., during the birth and rise of ‘Beth Merkelson’), one of the rumors was that Cagle was very close to cutting a deal with Minority Senator Robert Brown whereby if enough Republican state senators abandoned the GOP caucus structure put in place in November of 2010 (in which the LG’s authority was removed from making committee assignments), and these GOP senators voted with the Democrat Caucus, the LG would regain a ruling majority, which would allow him to re-write the Senate Rules and declare himself King of the Hill.
At the time of the skirmish, PV did not believe the rumor regarding Casey joining forces with Robert Brown. There was no evidence, soft or hard, at the time.
However, with these two current-day endorsements in particular, the original rumor is now looking more and more plausible because it would explain why the LG is making these moves now, and nothing else comes close to explaining it.
