House Speaker to Serve as Giuliani's Georgia Campaign Chairman.

"House Speaker goes for Giuliani"
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Despite Rudy Giuliani’s lead in the polls, there have been lots of questions about what kind of establishment Republican support he could muster in Georgia. Giuliani’s campaign sought to put that question to rest this morning by announcing that House Speaker Glenn Richardson would serve as Rudy’s Georgia campaign chairman.

In a conference call, Richardson praised Giuliani as a decisive leader “in a very stormy world, at a very difficult time.”

Richardson was joined by House GOP whip Barry Fleming, Reps. Jeff May, David Ralston and Jay Roberts, Sen. Ronnie Chance, former Augusta Mayor Bob Young and former state GOP chairs Bob Shaw and Rusty Paul.

In putting one question to rest, the Giuliani endorsement raised a few more. Giuliani’s campaign manager, Michael DuHaime, denied there was any connection between today’s announcement, which he said had been months in the making, and the appeal by a group of legislators, headed by Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson, to former Sen. Fred Thompson to jump in the GOP ring.