When I intially agreed to join the crew at Unbossed, it was with the thought that I could somehow bridge the red state / blue state divide by providing accounts on what progressives in the Deep South are doing to combat the rabid conservatism that lurks beneath the magnolias.

This is the first year that both houses of the Georgia General Assembly and the Governorship have been controlled by the Republicans since Reconstruction. In 2002, Republicans gained the Governor's mansion and the state Senate. And In 2004, they took the House. It should be noted that both chambers had the help of a few party switchers.

With the Republicans now in control, would they fufill their much touted promise of ushering in a new era of government accountibility?

Don't make me laugh.

Yesterday was Sine Die, the end of the legislative session. After 39 days, ending one day earlier than the 40 day maximum, the Republicans have done a lot damage to this State. And while I won't burden you with all the gruesome details, here are some notable bills.

• Hawks! - The House voted to change their rules allowing the Speaker to appoint up to three extra members at any time to any committee. If there's a hint that certain Republicans will not vote his way, he'll send in the hawks.
• Voting Restrictions - We now have the strictest voting requirements in the country. w00t! I can't dwell on this any longer, here's the lowdown from the ACLU.
• Secrecy Bill #1 - Allows public foundations to conceal donor names. If Mr. BigWig donates X to the County Chairman's alma mater, does his development suddenly get favorable zoning from the Commission?
• Ethics - Ha! The House stripped the bill of the gift limit and conflict of interest provisions.
• Secrecy Bill #2 - Allows government to negotiate in secret for proposed developments. While it did pass the house, it did not pass the Senate because the citizens called and bitched. Had the Atlanta Journal Constitution, a rag of a paper, not covered this bill extensively, I'm sure it would have passed.
• Eminent Domain - Made it easier for the government to take yer land. Never passed either chamber due to public outrage.
• Divorce Restrictions - Extending the waiting period for divorce AND making you take classes on the impact of divorce. Passed Senate, was not brought to the House for a vote because they ran out of time.

Now, I doubt that any of you really give a rats ass about what's going on down here. And to be honest, if I lived elsewhere, I'd be right there with you... but I do have a point. Next year, we'll have elections for Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, School Superintendent and of course, the legislature. It's do or die time for the Georgia Democratic Party since the Democratic Lt. Gov. and Secretary of State are not seeking re-election in order to fight it out in the Democratic primary for Governor. Having lost both the Governorship and School Superintendent in 2002, the Democrats are on the verge of being locked out the legislature and all state constitutional offices.

As they say in Vegas, "if you can win here, you can win anywhere." I plan on tracking the progress of the Georgia Democratic Party and various progressive organizations in their attempt to win back the state. What I hope to garner is a roadmap on what works and what doesn't work with regards to Democratic candidates in not only the South, but other red regions. You say the South is lost, I say the fight has just begun.