Rep. Parker Griffith (D-Ala.) switches to GOP

[Newsjock]

Source: Politico

POLITICO has learned that Rep. Parker Griffith, a freshman Democrat from Alabama, will announce today that he’s switching parties to become a Republican.

... Griffith, who captured the seat in a close 2008 open seat contest, will become the first Republican to hold the historically Democratic, Huntsville-based district. A radiation oncologist who founded a cancer treatment center, Griffith plans to blast the Democratic health care bill as a prime reason for his decision to switch parties—and is expected to cite his medical background as his authority on the subject.

While the timing of his announcement was unexpected, Griffith’s party switch will not come as a surprise to those familiar with his voting record, which is one of the most conservative among all Democrats.

He has bucked Democratic leadership on nearly all of its major domestic initiatives, including the stimulus package, health care legislation, the cap-and trade energy bill and financial regulatory reform.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30896.html

[Bleacher Creature]

1. Good riddance.

"In August—one month after Republicans picked up his former state legislative seat in a special election—he told a local newspaper that he wouldn't vote for Nancy Pelosi to remain as House Speaker because she's too divisive. He joked that if she didn’t like it, he’d provide her with a gift certificate to a mental health center."

I'm guessing there will be very few tears shed on the Democratic side of the aisle today. The only downside to it is going to be GIGANTIC DRUDGE HEADLINE using this to portend certain doom in 2010.

[tomm2thumbs]

42. yup, and if a picture paints a thousand words

'Lou Dobbs Jr' would be what I'm hearing

[S_E_Fudd]

2. Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out....

buh-bye!!!

[msongs]

3. people who switch parties after lying to get elected should have to resign nt

[Beams1969]

7. Just to play devil's advocate, did you say the same thing when Specter switched?

[T Wolf]

13. I did. Spectre is a loss for our party and getting rid of him is a high priority. Our party

already has enough traitors.

[Unvanguard]

28. Specter has backed all of Obama's major domestic policy initiatives.

Including the public option.

Don't get me wrong, I live in Pennsylvania and I'm voting for Sestak in the primaries, but his party switch was a good thing for us.

[dgibby]

43. Only because the Dems in the Senate put a gun to his head.

His "seniority" won't mean squat if he bucks them this session. He's angling for a chairmanship.

Glad to see you're voting for Sestak. I would, too, if I lived there. As it is, I'll be donating.

[Bleacher Creature]

22. Just to play devil's advocate to your devil's advocate . . .

Specter was a longtime Senator who was actually a Democrat in the 1960s. Part of his switch was political opportunism, but it also mirrors the way the two parties have evolved during the past 40 years.

This jackass from Alabama was just elected last year. I'm willing to bet that he was always a Republican in spirit, who ran as a Democrat in 2008 because it offered him his best chance of winning.

[Beavker]

8. Agreed

What's to stop someone from being a Registered Dem, getting elected in a real Blue State, then just flipping so he is a GOPig now holding a seat in a state that is Blue. They should have to re-run at the expense of the new party.

[Yupster]

14. Remember Phil Gramm ?

Did you know there was something to like about Phil Gramm?

When he switched parties, he resigned his House seat and then ran asa Republican in the special election.

He's the only one who's done that as far as I know.

[pattmarty]

26. Sorry, that ain't enough to make me even like that evil motherfucker a "little".

[wizstars]

37. AMEN TO THAT!!!

I want to be the first in line to piss on that evil P-O-S MoFo's grave.

[Ken Burch]

63. You're assuming Gramm will die.

Most Republicans are undead to start with.

[Blue_Tires]

17. +1000

[seafan]

4. A filthy Blue Dog who pushed against drug renegotiation by the gov't. Good riddance.

Rep. Parker Griffith switches to GOP

December 22, 2009



POLITICO learns Rep. Parker Griffith (Alabama-05) will announce today that he's switching parties to become a Republican. Photo: AP



Did we say *Good Riddance*?

[dflprincess]

33. The jerk is actually being honest (for a Blue Dog)

by admitting what party he actually belongs to.

This is what happens when Democratic voters must settle for one of Rahm's DLC, "lesser of two evil" types.

[ellie]

5. Sayonara asshole!

[SlavesandBulldozers]

6. so when's Landrieu going?

its only a matter of time.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

9. The cynic in me says --

this fuck ran as a Democrat to win in this "historically Democratic district" because he knew "R" after his name was a death sentance to his campaign.

And he knew from the start he would be changing from "D" to "R" after an appropriate time. :mad:

Look for more of this in the future, folks.

[Hyper_Eye]

19. As someone who lives in his district I can tell you that our "D"'s are really "R"'s

We can't get better Democratic candidates. If a progressive or even centrist ran in this district they would lose. It is very frustrating but that is the way it is. Griffith didn't switch parties because he cares about whether there is a "D" or an "R" next to his name. He switched parties because he alienated all the progressives and liberals in this district and we were going to sit the election out. It would have been easily picked up by the Republicans. This was 100% an attempt to keep his job. That's it.

[ingac70]

10. Expect this from alot of the newer Blue Dogs.

Repukes all along.

[Renew Deal]

11. No loss

I hope he has fun as a republican. He'll find that he's still going to get yelled at by voters.

[era veteran]

12. Democrats have enough screw ups without this fascist too

Piss up a rope liar.

[AlphaCentauri]

15. did someone say that dem and re-pugs are the same thing?

These types have destroy democracy, where is democracy when a single state of mind rules?

[davidwparker]

16. one less DINO

[Blue_Tires]

18. i think he's hedging his bets that the gop will pick up seats in the house

[tomm2thumbs]

20. maybe all the Democrats could do that, and take over the Republican agenda

let's play ball

[Fearless]

21. Good, now lets run real Dems against him.

[Ian David]

23. He owns a hospital. Gee, I wonder why the whore switched. n/t

[placton]

24. I wonder how much Dems spent to elect him?

is he a RAHMSTER?

[VenusRising]

54. Yes, he was recruited by Rahm .

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the political arm of House Democrats, spent more than $1.2 million on Griffith's run in 2008, for his first term in office.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34524455/ns/politics-capitol_hill

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

88. DCCC needs to DEMAND their money back

What a crook!

[pattmarty]

25. Reps like this guy or Specter can truly be called "whores".

[Unvanguard]

27. Who cares? We still have a majority, and he didn't vote the right way anyway. n/t

[Posteritatis]

89. Do you have a majority?

Numbers, yes, but votes on most things these days? Doesn't really seem it.

[City Lights]

29. Good riddance, Parker!

Hey. If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Parker Griffith, ex-DINO asswipe, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Capitol Hill with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is. Hallelujah! Holy shit.

A special thanks to Clark Griswold, for letting me borrow that quote. ;-)

[thelordofhell]

46. Where's the Tylenol?

[Vinca]

30. I wish all the faux Democrats would switch and get it over with.

At least we'd know where we stand.

[Glorfindel]

32. Yes, starting with Gene Taylor, who purports to represent me

as a Democrat. He's worse than a Repuke because he adds lying hypocrisy to his other sins. :puke:

[RubyDuby in GA]

40. And he can take Jim Marshall with him

I hate the Blue Dogs.

[BluDemocratGirl]

50. and Lieberman too.

[wordpix]

56. Traitor Joe, that's my senator, blech

[Abq_Sarah]

59. There are 52 members

Of the Blue dog coalition. Do you want them to all join the repubs?

They are "conservative" democrats because progressives can't get elected in their districts. They have given us the majority and the leadership positions. Castigating them isn't particularly helpful since without them, we'd be looking at Speaker of the House Boehner.

[Bleacher Creature]

31. He was one of 5 Dems to vote against the Lily Ledbetter Act.

What more needs to be said.

[TwilightGardener]

34. LOL. What a fraud he was--good riddance.

[onehandle]

35. The party is dead in the South.

It's over down here.

[KamaAina]

36. One of Rahm's prize recruits, I take it?

:eyes: :sarcasm:

[dhill926]

38. he'll get his 15 minutes of national attention......

then disappear.

[Cass]

39. My first thought about this is he ran and won on the anti-republican wave last year

and now that he's in, he'll switch parties. He gamed the system I guess you could say. That's my take on it.

[AlbertCat]

41. Hey. He coulda switched to the Connecticut for Lieberman Party!

But alas he chose an even more egocentric, debauched party.

[Brother Buzz]

52. The Connecticut for Lieberman party chairman called for Lieberman to resign from the Senate

I don't think they want anything to do with Parker Griffith unless it involves a barbecue pit and rotisserie spit.

[Dappleganger]

44. He should be recalled by his constituents

for fraudulently deceiving them in the election.

Good riddance, neither side will want him now.

[silverweb]

45. Good riddance.

[Arkana]

47. Good.

One less Blue Dog.

[BluDemocratGirl]

58. You got that right!

He's been an undercover RePUKE all along.

[Judi Lynn]

48. Dec 22 2009, 4:21 pm by Chris Good

Dec 22 2009, 4:21 pm by Chris Good
Griffith To Give Back Donations

Recently flipped Rep. Parker Griffith (R-AL) will refund campaign contributions to any donors who ask for their money back, a spokesman for Griffith's campaign said today, a move that could cost his campaign tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, for one, is asking.

As the freshman Griffith announced today that he would switch parties to become the House's newest Republican, DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) called on Griffith to return money not only to the DCCC, but to Democratic lawmakers who had donated to Griffith's campaign.

"Mr. Griffith, failing to honor our commitment to him, has a duty and responsibility to return to Democratic Members and the DCCC the financial resources that were invested in him. His constituents will hold him accountable for failing to keep his commitments," Van Hollen said in a statement released this afternoon.

"Mr. Griffith, failing to honor our commitment to him, has a duty and responsibility to return to Democratic Members and the DCCC the financial resources that were invested in him. His constituents will hold him accountable for failing to keep his commitments," Van Hollen said in a statement released this afternoon.

Griffith isn't required to give the money back: according to the Federal Election Commission, campaigns are not legally obligated to give back contributions when donors ask for refunds. In total, Griffith could end up giving back just over $80,000 in donations from PACs and campaigns with Democratic ties.

Griffith received $68,300 from campaigns and PACs affiliated with Democratic lawmakers in 2009, plus $3,265 in in-kind contributions from the DCCC to put on fundraisers. Democratic leaders gave to Griffith almost unanimously: he took in donations from PACs or campaigns of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, Chief Deputy Whip Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen.

More:
http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/12/griffith_to_give_back_donations.php

[BluDemocratGirl]

49. Hasta la vista, Blockhead!

Go and join the money-hungry RePUKES! And don't back whenever they get through with your ass!

[WhiteTara]

51. I hope the voters recall his ass. n/t

[Blandocyte]

53. Take an extra jesus outta petty cash

on yer way out, asshole.

[PM Martin]

55. That didn't take long.

[DAMANgoldberg]

57. Having spent my growing years in North Alabama

AL-4 to be exact, the best hope for a "real" democrat won't be until DUer Ava Lowery turns 25, finishes her degree and returns home.
www.peacetakescourage.com

[quakerboy]

60. So are campaign adds trademarked or copyrighted

Or can we just borrow the republicans ad's against him?

[John Kerry VonErich]

61. No biggie.

But I just hope it's not gonna be a trend.

[Ken Burch]

62. Why did he ever run as a Dem, anyway?

n/t.

[chelsea0011]

64. After seeing how he voted, what exactly made him think the Democratic

Party was for him? Looks like he picked the party only along the line of which had the better chance of winning.

[bamacrat]

65. Well, I grew up in Huntsville and it is one of the bluest places in Alabama.

Not saying alot since it is Alabama but, the Dems have a huge presence in Madison County. So I don't think this will help him at all. What a douche.

[comtec]

66. Alabama "dem" defecting to GoP

Source: ABC News

A U.S. House Democrat who opposes the health care overhaul announced Tuesday he is defecting to the GOP, another blow to Democrats ahead of the midterm elections.

Griffith of Alabama, a freshman is switching to the Republican Party, his office said Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009, another blow to Democrats facing a potentially tough midterm election. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg) Collapse
(AP)

U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith spoke to reporters at his home in northern Alabama, a region that relies heavily on defense and aerospace jobs.

"I believe our nation is at a crossroads and I can no longer align myself with a party that continues to pursue legislation that is bad for our country, hurts our economy, and drives us further and further into debt," Griffith said as his wife Virginia stood by his side.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=9400745

---

Fucking scum bag!

At least that's one less blue dog we have to worry about.
he's shown his true colors.... green!

[Ken Burch]

67. Had anybody here even HEARD of the guy before this?

Other than Rahm, when he recruited the sack of shit?

[opihimoimoi]

68. Whad an asshole...bait and switch mfkr....how can he sleep at night?

[comtec]

70. Probably on a bed of money

with solid gold lining.
Well at least it's in the house and not in the senate where it matters!

Can I hate Alabama again? please? =]

[SpiralHawk]

71. bait and switch for sure. How perfectly republicon.

He belongs with the losers...

[comtec]

72. The loosers that are getting their way?

the loosers that have GUTTED health care reform, and everything else Obama and the left (I know he's a right leaning moderate which is called liberal now-a-days)
THOSE loosers?

they seem to be doing rather well in their agenda.

i wish OUR side of "winners" was a QUARTER as effective as these "Loosers" seem to be =[

[FrenchieCat]

69. Is anyone supposed to give a fuck other than the media who will continue in their attempts

to dog out the Democrats at every turn?

A blue Dog scared of the teabaggers is not news, far as I'm concerned.

Why has this been posted on DU as many times as it has?
What's the point?

[superconnected]

73. Now if turncoat joe would go.

[Demeter]

74. Very Interesting

So Rahm recruits a DINO, and produces a health insurance company bill so egregiously Republican that the recruit decides to go all the way and change flags.


Chess, I tell you, has nothing like this in it.

[Dr.Phool]

75. Breaking.....Blue Dog licks balls, bites self on ass,

Then gets tea-bagged.........Film at 11:00.

[bertman]

80. +

:rofl: :rofl:

[aintitfunny]

76. Good riddance to bad rubbish

He was always a republican anyway and as such he was useless.

[TexasObserver]

77. This guy was just elected as a Democrat.

He committed a fraud upon everyone in his state and party primary who voted for him.

He took money under false pretenses, which should get him sued or prosecuted, but won't get him either.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

81. +1000

[bertman]

82. Correct, TexasObserver. All of which begs the question of why anyone would recruit such

an unDemocratic person to run as a Democratic candidate. Just to have someone with a (D) behind their name even if they are really an (R), is my guess.

We should send a thank you note to the DLC and DCCC for getting behind that guy.

Not.

[loudsue]

78. If only the rest of the blue dogs would come out of the closet

and do the same, we'd be able to START getting somewhere with our party. Rahm is the next one that really needs to come out....even before Joe. Rahm is a snake in the grass....LIEberman is a snake up your ass.

[Odin2005]

79. Good riddance.

[Xenotime]

83. Fine. Go be with the fuckwads.

[meow2u3]

84. Answer: Red

Question: What color do Blue Dogs eventually turn?

[jmowreader]

85. Did anyone really NOT expect this?

The worse problem is people getting elected as Democrats, remaining in the party but toeing the Republican line. Witness Mike McIntyre.

[Romulox]

86. Wow. This guy was a HERO to me when he wore the (D).

Now, he's just plain evil.

[KamaAina]

87. Slight typo in headline

should read "Alabama "dem" defective; to GoP". :P