House Democrat from Huntsville district switches to GOP

[redrumloa]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_congress_party_switch

Freshman Democratic House member Parker Griffith of Alabama is switching to the Republican Party, his office said Tuesday, another blow to Democrats facing a potentially tough midterm election.

Griffith, 67, was narrowly elected last year from a region of northern Alabama that includes Huntsville and Decatur. President Barack Obama lost the district badly to Republican John McCain.

Griffith, a radiation oncologist, had accumulated one of the most conservative voting records of any House Democrat. He was one of seven Democrats to oppose Obama's economic stimulus measure early this year.

He was one of 39 House Democrats who voted against a major health care bill that narrowly passed. He also voted against an anti-global warming bill pushed strongly by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Democrats will hold 257 House seats to the GOP's 178 after Griffith's switch.

Several veteran House moderates have announced their retirements next year, giving Republicans hopes of picking up a significant number of seats in the November elections.

 

[ltstanfo]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_congress_party_switch

Parker Griffith is controversial to put it kindly. He originally ran as a "conservative" democrat (aka "Blue Dog") but no one in the 5th district (North Alabama) regards him as one based on his voting record. He narrowly won his seat from the Republican challenger (both were competing for outgoing Democrat Bud Cramer's seat) who ran a dirty campaign and frankly (IMO) deserved to lose. Griffith has enough skeletons in his political / professional closet without having to resort to the low blows that his opponent tried to repeatedly use.

That being said, Griffith's switch was no surprise here in Huntsville (Griffith's home town). He is an opportunist and realized that as a Democrat, he is finished in the 2010 election. It was kind of fun to watch him try to hide from his constituents during the town hall meetings earlier in the year. So, he decided to switch to the Republican party in the hopes of maintaining his seat. Yeah, good luck with that Dr. Griffith. Better dust off your physician's jacket... or better still, why not reopen "The Mill"? That was one thing everyone here liked you for. At least they knew how to make great deli sandwiches.

As of this morning, the state democrat party has not announced any candidates (if anyone was surprised by Griffith's move, they were). As for the Republican primary, Griffith will face two far more qualified candidates (Mo Brooks and Les Phillip). Both candidates have already thanked Parker Griffith for their "Christmas Present" (he voted with the majority 84.5 percent of the time). I cannot wait for the primary debates.

Regards,
Ltstanfo