Democrats choose Albany lawmaker as party leader in Senate

ATLANTA - Democrats in the Georgia Senate turned to a three-term lawmaker from Albany, Sen. Michael Meyer Von Bremen, Thursday to lead their party into a new term that will find them in the minority for the first time in more than 130 years. <br> <br> But as they reorganized to accept the new reality of a GOP-led Senate in January, a defiant Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor vowed that he and his fellow Democrats won&#39;t fade quietly into the background. <br> <br> ``We will be there to make sure Georgia does not go back,&#39;&#39; he declared. ``We will move forward ... This Democratic caucus will make this Senate do the right thing.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Taylor said Democrats will fight Republicans issue for issue in a bid to win back majority control in two years. <br> <br> Towards that goal, the Democrats reorganized their caucus and named some of their most senior veterans to positions focusing on candidate recruitment and fund-raising for the 2004 elections. <br> <br> Meyer Von Bremen, 45, will replace Senate Democratic Leader Charles Walker of Augusta, who lost his re-election bid on Nov. 5. <br> <br> Elected the Democratic whip was Sen. Robert Brown of Macon, who played an instrumental role in redrawing legislative and congressional districts when Democrats were power. <br> <br> Meyer Von Bremen is white. Brown is black. They were elected by acclamation in a short public session, but the actual decisions were made in a closed-door meeting which lasted well over two hours. <br> <br> Sen. George Hooks of Americus was named to the new position of chief executive officer of the caucus and Sen. Tim Golden of Valdosta was named chief financial officer. Their primary jobs will be party-building and candidate recruitment. <br> <br> Hooks is currently budget chairman and Golden chairs the redistricting panel, positions likely to go to Republicans when GOP senators begin exercising majority control. <br> <br> Georgia voters elected a Democratic majority to the Senate last month but also chose a Republican governor, who lost no time wooing four Democrats to switch to the GOP. With that, control passed to the Republicans. <br> <br> The new Republican majority is expected to strip Taylor of most of his power in the Senate, leaving him only the Constitutional duty of presiding. <br> <br> Even so, Taylor promised, ``We will fight the good fight here as Senate Democrats&#39;&#39; and said Georgians soon will see the difference in the two parties&#39; priorities. Taylor is considered a possible candidate for governor in four years. <br> <br> Where Democrats will push for health care improvements, ethics reform and abortion rights, Republicans will seek a referendum on the state flag and seek to redraw legislative and congressional districts, he said. <br> <br> ``Where is their focus on education for all children, where is their focus on public safety, where is their focus on jobs for Georgians,&#39;&#39; he asked. <br> <br> With the four defections, Republicans now hold a 30-26 advantage over Democrats one vote more than the 29 needed to pass a bill.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/12/186938