Posted on 05/27/2003 9:05:58 PM PDT by JohnnyZ
RALEIGH - Co-Speaker of the House Richard Morgan is only the second Republican speaker in the past century and the highest-ranking GOP state legislator, but four months into his term, members of his own party are trying to reprimand him at their state convention in Charlotte next weekend.
Morgan's critics, angry about the coalition he formed with House Democrats, vow to find Republicans to run against him and his four core supporters in next year's GOP primary.
"The `Morgan Five' will definitely have primary opposition," said Rep. Frank Mitchell, R-Iredell. "When you get Republicans angry, they will go after you."
Morgan is ready to back a few primary opponents himself and will stack his 30 years of Republican service against any party critic. He said the ultimate validation for him is that the House is accomplishing something: passing bills, teaming up Republicans and Democrats, and approving a budget in April, months ahead of the past two years.
"We might be on our way to restoring confidence in the General Assembly among rank-and-file voters," Morgan said. "Democrats and Republicans."
Rep. Sam Ellis, R-Wake, and several other Republican legislators who voted against Morgan are pushing resolutions at their party's convention that condemn him and his supporters and require a loyalty pledge from House Republicans in the future.
Ellis said voters elected Republicans in hopes of having a GOP-controlled House. With the House evenly divided, 60 to 60, in January, neither party was able to muster the 61st vote necessary to elect a speaker. Morgan and four other Republicans refused to back the GOP caucus nominee for speaker and instead formed a coalition with Democrats, installing a co-speaker from each party: Morgan and Rep. Jim Black, D-Mecklenburg.
"These five have overturned the will of the voters," Ellis said. "It's about people that put personal power and ambition above respect for the system."
Morgan, who does not plan to attend the convention, said Ellis and other critics are bitter because a Republican ascended to the speaker's chair but it wasn't the Republican they wanted -- Rep. Leo Daughtry, R-Johnston, the caucus nominee. Legislators such as Ellis and Rep. John Blust, R-Guilford, are "spewing venom" that will damage the Republican Party, he said.
"Such extreme points of view and such poison -- an inability to `get over it' -- have made them totally ineffective legislators," Morgan said last week. "That hurts the party. I'll certainly be looking for more sensible, more competent, more qualified Republicans to help (next year). You know how Mitchell threatens (that primary opponents will emerge). Well, two can play at that game. Extremists like Sam Ellis and John Blust make the party look bad. ... I can assure you there will be primaries that I wish to invest in, starting right here in Wake County."
Republican state convention organizers have slated debate and votes on two resolutions prompted by Morgan's election, both of which originated with the Wake County GOP. Cleveland County Republican leaders passed similar resolutions. One requires Republican legislators to sign a pledge promising to vote for their caucus' nominees for leadership positions.
The other resolution condemns Republican House members who made "their own personal deals with the Democrat House leadership instead of working with all Republican representatives to reach a consensus candidate for Speaker." Ellis has since asked to insert the names of the "Morgan Five:" Morgan, Rep. Harold Brubaker, R-Randolph; Rep. Julia Howard, R-Davie; Rep. Danny McComas, R-New Hanover; and Rep. Wilma Sherrill, R-Buncombe.
Ellis also submitted a resolution empowering the state party chairman, Bill Cobey, to condemn Morgan and his supporters.
"It's going to make our state convention very interesting," said Marcus Kindley, Guilford County chairman. "I told everybody, `Bring your sandwiches and coolers because we won't be going anywhere for a while.' "
What particularly chafes Morgan are the charges that he has betrayed his party. Ellis, Blust and Mitchell complain that Morgan allows the Democrats to run the House, noting that Democrat Bill Culpepper, of Chowan County, chairs the rules committee, the gateway through which any significant legislation must pass. They also derided Morgan's agreement to a budget deal that they contend violates the Republican commandment to lower taxes.
Time to toss the RINOs from the state Republican Party!!! :)
The GOP has always suffered from lack of discipline, and now that we're a power in this state, it hurts us.
This is going to be a wild one.
This delegate will vote in favor.
What?!? And give up our highly effective co-speakership?!??!!!
Good to hear!!
Check your FRmail.
Of both.
One says "vote for the caucus nominee, ya big dumn idiots"
The other says "Richard Morgan and his lackeys suck".
I'm high up enough in the hierarchy where I intend to find out what the Party, from Cobey on down, plans to do. If I'm not satisfied with what I hear, I'm willing to pull a private group together, outside the party leadership, to take on these scoundrels.
Anyone care to join me? It's going to be a challenge.
This joker:
Danny McComas (does he look like a famous German to you?), thinks he'll probably run for NC Senate next year in Patrick Ballantine's district. I think we can expect Ballantine to head that off.
This pig man:
Can and should be taken out in the primary in conservative Pinehurst.
Wilma Sherrill
is out west in Asheville, giving Republicans a bad name.
Former speaker 
Harold Brubaker is a tougher case. He's from Asheboro and pretty entrenched.
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