Who will run Georgia's House? GOP hoping to play a role

ATLANTA - Republicans in Georgia&#39;s House are feverishly trying to persuade their Democratic colleagues to buck their party&#39;s choice for speaker and pick someone who will share power with the GOP. <br> <br> Two weeks ago, House Democrats chose Representative Terry Coleman of Eastman to succeed longtime Speaker Tom Murphy. Since Democrats have a 106-73 advantage in the House, Coleman will become speaker in January as long as they stick together. <br> <br> But that may not happen. <br> <br> Another Democrat -- Representatvie Larry Walker -- also expressed interest in becoming speaker. Walker, a lawyer from Perry who has been the House Democratic Leader for years, bowed out of the speaker&#39;s race at the last minute. <br> <br> Walker&#39;s departure left many wondering whether he was cooking up a deal with Republicans. Republicans say they will support Walker for speaker in January as long as he assigns some Republicans to powerful committee posts. <br> <br> Walker says Monday that he was still in the race for speaker and felt ``very good&#39;&#39; about his chances of beating Coleman for the job. <br> <br> Walker needs to persuade 17 Democrats and the one independent to vote for him for his plan to work. <br> <br> Rumors about a power shift in the House have swirled among lawmakers ever since the November 5 election, when Sonny Perdue became the first Republican elected governor since Reconstruction. Within a week after Perdue&#39;s win, the Senate switched to Republican hands, as four Democratic senators changed parties. <br> <br> Democrats still have a comfortable margin in the House, but Murphy&#39;s defeat left that chamber open for changes. Murphy had been speaker since 1974 and refused to give Republicans top jobs in the committees, which recommend laws for a full vote.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/11/187307