Politico is reporting that first-term Congressman Parker Griffith (D-Alabama) will announce today that he is leaving the Democratic Party and joining the GOP.
Griffith has been in Congress for just under a year – so congratulations to Speaker Pelosi for setting a new speed record for driving star recruits out of the party.
I’m sure I will have my disagreements with our newest GOP congressman – as I do with most of his former Blue Dog colleagues – but all I have to say today is “Welcome aboard, Mr. Griffith, glad to have you.”
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:17 am
I’m sure Travis Childers will join him shortly, and probably a few others (Brad Ellsworth, Joe Donnally maybe)
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:35 am
Parker Griffith is my Congressman. If he is defecting he’s no where near a lock on the GOP primary.
Of course he’s got a better chance of winning a GOP primary (~50%) than winning a general election as a Democrat (~10%).
If this is true, I hope Mo Brooks and Les Phillips don’t divide the conservative vote and let Griffith slip through the GOP primary.
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:36 am
I’m going to call Griffith’s office later today.
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:37 am
God bless you Mr Griffith. There are some honest men in Washington DC and you are one of them. Thank you for taking a big step and watching out for all the American people. Oh my prayers are with you and your family, you are a outstanding man.
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:46 am
Retirements and switches. Writing’s on the wall, Dems!
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:46 am
BTW — All of you who criticized Specter’s switch — is Griffith a traitorous, backstabbing POS?
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:52 am
6 – I think it depends on the reason for the switch. But I never criticized Specter for switching – I criticized him for ever calling himself a Republican in the first place (since he only joined the GOP when he lost a Dem primary)
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:53 am
In Specters’s case – switching was probably the most honorable move he made in a long time (even if he did do it out of pure political calculation)
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:53 am
#6 Yes he is, but I’m glad he saw the writing on the wall.
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:54 am
7 – This guy has legitimate ideological disagreements with Democrats. So did Specter with Republicans. But they both ultimately switched to save their own asses. I’m ambivalent about the merits of both switches; it’s whatever. Exciting when it happens for our side, though.
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:02 pm
What usually happens when a Democrat becomes a Republican in congress is that their voting record shifts substantially to the right. One example of that was Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, and I don’t know of any exceptions to that rule. Party switches reflect the political tides, and the tide is moving in the right direction.
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Just to put a quick end to my Specter comment. My issue with Specter was not that he deviated from the party orthodoxy. My problem with him was that he spent several decades throwing a tantrum about how the entire party needed to change it’s entire ideological orientation to suit his whims. He spent more time publically attacking the party than supporting it.
So, by the end, my opinion of him was, “Dude, if you hate everything about the GOP as much as you say you do – then nothing’s stopping you from leaving”. Same deal with Lincoln Chafee. Those two people made me really angry and I was more than prepared to get rid of them at any cost. On the other hand, I have no real beef with Susan Collins (who I actually like a lot) or Olympia Snowe.
Moderates don’t bother me – grown men who act like two year-olds bother me.
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:26 pm
how did this guy vote on the House Healthcare bill?
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Griffith already voted with Repubs on health care, financial reform, the 2010 budget, the stimulus, the climate bill and a few others.
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:31 pm
well griffith had been a dem in national office for less than 1 year before he switched. specter had been a republican for 30 years and had publicly promised he wouldnt switch.
so yea, specter is still a traitor POS, and griffith is simply lining up with the party he is closest to.
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:38 pm
fantastic…another big-government republican[sic]!!!!!
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Republican party should not allow any one to switch out of political conveniancy. It is chicken
sh** by both the individual and the party. Republican Party is out of touch with the country – they
all need to be booted out. Voting no on health care is not enough, Rebulican senators and congressman
should be on the floor yelling and screaming about how this bill will fundamentally change who
we are as a country. Voting ‘NO’ is no longer and acceptable response.
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:53 pm
RedState’s Erick Erickson welcomes Parker Griffith to the GOP by kicking him to the curb.
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2009/12/22/breaking-rep-parker-griffith-switches-to-gop/
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Welcome home!
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Apparently there’s also a guy named Todd Slyman already in the AL05 GOP race. Griffith must be hoping his opposition gets divided among them his three opponents.
December 24th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
The way you create a majority is by welcoming converts—something Eric obviously has no clue about. Griffith will be a good Republican—everything points to that. The salient point: The people of his district need to be trained to vote GOP below the Presidential level. Parker will help with that.
December 29th, 2009 at 9:04 am
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