Jerry Keen thinks Glenn Richardson will be reelected as Speaker:

A north Georgia legislator's plan to wrest the gavel away from Georgia Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson doesn't stand much chance, Majority Leader Jerry Keen told a room full of Rotary Club members today during a visit to Macon.

Keen, who also said he's considering running for governor in 2010, said Richardson has done "an outstanding job" as speaker, despite the public spats that have garnered a lot of the headlines since Republicans took over in the House four years ago.

"I will vote for Glenn Richardson again as speaker, and I'll tell you why," Keen told the lunch-time crowd. "Public relations notwithstanding, he's done an outstanding job. ... Most, if not all, of the major legislation we've passed up there in the last four years since he's been speaker would not have been possible (without him).

"I'm confident he'll be re-elected as speaker," Keen said. "I don't think there's any doubt that he will be."

Keen is kidding himself if he really believes that Richardson has done "an outstanding job." That is really an absurd statement. Richardson has spoiled much of the goodwill between the state legislature and the Governor. I question whether most of our leaders in this state are really "conservatives," for lack of a better word. Richardson and Keen epitomize everything that has gone wrong with Republicans. The sooner they are gone the better, but I'm not holding my breath that it'll happen anytime soon.