Griffith switches to GOP

[Shady]

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

According to two senior GOP aides familiar with the decision, the announcement will take place this afternoon in Griffith's district in northern Alabama.

Griffith’s party switch comes on the eve of a pivotal congressional health care vote and will send a jolt through a Democratic House Caucus that has already been unnerved by the recent retirements of a handful of members who, like Griffith, hail from districts that offer prime pickup opportunities for the GOP in 2010.

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.

Link

And so it begins. It'll start out as a trickle, and end up as a flood next November. And anyone fond of Sen. Reid and Sen. Dodd better enjoy them in the Senate while you still can. Cause they're gonna be kicked out too!

[Alta4ever]

no comments yet?

[bush_cheney2004]

no comments yet?

Interesting....but the House has 435 members. Now if a senator crossed the aisle, that would eff things up really good!

[Riverwind]

no comments yet?

This guy was already voting with the republicans so the move does not change the outcome of any legislation.

[Shady]

This guy was already voting with the republicans so the move does not change the outcome of any legislation.

True, but it's one less seat the Republicans need to win next November to gain the majority. Plus, it underscores how radical and unpopular the Dems agenda has become.

[waldo]

True, but it's one less seat the Republicans need to win next November to gain the majority. Plus, it underscores how radical and unpopular the Dems agenda has become.

so radical - so unpopular... that both the House and the Senate voted for Health Care. Such a sad puppy that a House single seat defection gives you a chubby!

[Alta4ever]

so radical - so unpopular... that both the House and the Senate voted for Health Care. Such a sad puppy that a House single seat defection gives you a chubby!

Ahh there it is I was waiting for the smarmy smart as reply, although with all the time it took, I thought it would be better.

[BubberMiley]

Ahh there it is I was waiting for the smarmy smart as reply, although with all the time it took, I thought it would be better.

I don't think your reply was as "smart as" his.

[Guest American Woman]

Riverwind, on 22 December 2009 - 10:38 PM, said:

This guy was already voting with the republicans so the move does not change the outcome of any legislation.

True, but it's one less seat the Republicans need to win next November to gain the majority. Plus, it underscores how radical and unpopular the Dems agenda has become.

One person switching parties, one person out of 435 Representatives and 100 Senators, the majority of them Democrats, "underscores how radical and unpopular the Dems agenda has become?" Riiiight.

And I hate to burst your bubble, but he needs to be re-elected next November. His seat could be won by the opposing Democrat. So you're "one less seat...." scenario doesn't wash.

[August1991]

Interesting....but the House has 435 members. Now if a senator crossed the aisle, that would eff things up really good!

Agreed.

All eyes turn to the Olympia of Maine.

America. What a country!

[Guest American Woman]

America. What a country!

Thank you.

...he needs to be re-elected next November. His seat could be won by the opposing Democrat. So you're "one less seat...." scenario doesn't wash.

He may not even get the opportunity to run for re-election. Evidently some feel he only switched parties to "save his hide," but that may backfire on him:

Ever since Griffith announced his switch, conservative activists have been warning he may have now landed himself in even more trouble because he’s facing a GOP primary — and the wrath of right wing activists who only want real conservatives in the party.

“We can pick this guy off and get a real Republican in that seat.”

Griffith has described himself as a "lifelong Democrat," a Democrat "for the little people," and apparently has voted with Nancy Pelosi "some 85% of the time." I wouldn't be surprised if someone else were chosen to replace him in the primaries. link

[Shady]

I had to borrow this from Bugs' thread. Great find Bugs!

Keep the Big Tent big

By William M. Daley

Thursday, December 24, 2009; A15

"The announcement by Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith that he is switching to the Republican Party is just the latest warning sign that the Democratic Party -- my lifelong political home -- has a critical decision to make: Either we plot a more moderate, centrist course or risk electoral disaster not just in the upcoming midterms but in many elections to come. ... On the one hand, centrist Democrats are being vilified by left-wing bloggers, pundits and partisan news outlets for not being sufficiently liberal, "true" Democrats. On the other, Republicans are pounding them for their association with a party that seems to be advancing an agenda far to the left of most voters.

The political dangers of this situation could not be clearer."

Washington Post

This is for those of you who continue to downplay the incident in an intellectually dishonest fashion.

[kimmy]

"There is not a hint of silver lining in these numbers. They are the quantitative expression of the swing bloc of American politics slipping away."

Indeed, Obama's victory was not a landslide, and depended on "the swing bloc" deciding "you know what? I'm sick of the way things have been going... I want to give the new guy a chance."

Daley seems to be arguing that a lot of the swing voters are regretting the decision.

However, the elections are 10 months away, and the presidential election is 34 months away. Voters being unhappy with where things are at is one thing, presenting an alternative is another (Canadian voters are familiar with this... Stephen Harper doesn't seem like a very appealing Prime Minister... until you compare him to the alternatives.) Right now, Obama is opposing a theoretical opponent whose only identifying characteristic is that he is not Obama. If the Republicans accidentally pick their own version of Michael Ignatieff to lead the party (or picture a right-wing version of John Kerry, or something equally disasterous) then that "swing bloc" could start swinging back the other way pretty quick.

-k

[Shady]

However, the elections are 10 months away, and the presidential election is 34 months away.

I agree that the current political climate for Dems won't necessarily impact the next Presidential election, but it certainly will impact the upcoming mid-terms.

There's some 40+ congressional seats currently held by Demcrats from districts that went slightly or heavily for McCain in '08. It's going to be very difficult for the Dems to hold on to those. And when you add in the recent retirements of several Dems in swing districts, it only makes it that much more challenging.

Also keep in mind, that high-profile senators from fairly blue states such as Dodd in Connecticut and Boxer in California will have difficult fights on their hands. In fact, Dodd, and the current senate majority leader Reid are fairly safe bets to be kicked out of office.

[Bugs]

I agree that the current political climate for Dems won't necessarily impact the next Presidential election, but it certainly will impact the upcoming mid-terms.

There's some 40+ congressional seats currently held by Demcrats from districts that went slightly or heavily for McCain in '08. It's going to be very difficult for the Dems to hold on to those. And when you add in the recent retirements of several Dems in swing districts, it only makes it that much more challenging.

Also keep in mind, that high-profile senators from fairly blue states such as Dodd in Connecticut and Boxer in California will have difficult fights on their hands. In fact, Dodd, and the current senate majority leader Reid are fairly safe bets to be kicked out of office.

I think it's reasonable to take this as one indication, amongst many, that Congressional Democrats will grow increasingly resistent to the demands that Obama is putting on them. First of all, healthcare isn't in the bag yet. The two forms of the Bill have to be reconciled. Many of the central items in the House version are NOT in the Senate BilI. It promises to be rancorous.

Put that together with the economy. Let's imagine that in the next six months, there is a stock market slide, or the banks go wormy under the pressure of the commercial mortgages? Or any of a dozen other things happen. Say the figures show that Christmas shopping was worse than last year, and unemployment is growing, month by month. The Tea Party protests continue ... and the countdown to the election is underway.

I imagine Cap and Trade is next on the legislative agenda. People are going to go nuts, just like they did with the heathcare fiasco.

My point is these great battles are going to be going on, inflaming the American center, as the countdown to the election goes on. The election campaigns actually start after the Labor Day holiday, but the positioning begins now.

If Obama continues in this direction, it will make it very difficult on his supporters in Congress. He will have no coat-tails ... and if he has no coat-tails, his power is seriously curtailed.

[Guest American Woman]

I think it's reasonable to take this as one indication, amongst many, that Congressional Democrats will grow increasingly resistent to the demands that Obama is putting on them.

The president doesn't "put demands" on members of his party; they are free to vote as they see fit, and generally do. I would say they are more concerned about whether their actions will get them re-elected than they are about whether or not they will please Obama.

So one need not switch parties in order to vote against Obama's wishes. Furthermore, as I already pointed out, many see Griffith's switch as an attempt to save his hide, but it may have backfired as he may not even get the chance to run again this fall if the Republicans decide they want a "real Republican" for a candidate.

If you look at Griffith's past, he said he is for "health care for everyone."

Or any of a dozen other things happen.

That's the key, right there. Any dozen of things could happen, favorable or unfavorable. So it's rather pointless to just say "what if" regarding worst-case scenarios because that's only one half of the "what ifs" that could happen between now and November.

My point is these great battles are going to be going on, inflaming the American center, as the countdown to the election goes on. The election campaigns actually start after the Labor Day holiday, but the positioning begins now.

And the voters cast their vote in November, so what is happening now will not overshadow what is happening then. That's generally the way it works.

If Obama continues in this direction, it will make it very difficult on his supporters in Congress. He will have no coat-tails ... and if he has no coat-tails, his power is seriously curtailed.

Obama's "direction" hasn't even had a chance to play out. He's been in power for less than a year. If more Republicans are elected in the 2010 elections, it's nothing unusual. In fact, it's pretty much the norm for a first term president's party to lose votes in the following Federal elections, and that possibility is part of the "checks and balances" that went into creating our government.

One Representative changing sides, a freshman Congressman, is nothing to get worked up about or start making predictions over; especially almost a year before the elections. I doubt whether Obama is going to let himself be influenced in the tiniest, remotest bit by this.

And again, from what I've read, Griffith was looking out for Griffith when he made his decision. He's likely going to have a tough time getting the GOP nomination to run in the 2010 race, as some of his toughest criticism is coming from conservatives.

Edited December 27, 2009 by American Woman

[Shady]

Obama's "direction" hasn't even had a chance to play out. He's been in power for less than a year.

Obama's direction certainly has had a chance to play out, and it stinks. He's been President for close to a year, 25% of his first (and hopefully only) term.

* His record spending economic stimulus bill (which wasn't really designed as an economic stimulus) hasn't had any real impact on the economy. It hasn't created any real private-sector jobs, and hasn't kept unemployment from going above 8%, like he and his economic guru's had predicted.

* His record setting omnibus spending bill completely busted the budget, and guarantees trillion dollar deficits for the forseeable future.

* His so-called heathcare reform, mandates that you buy coverage or be fined or go to jail. It raises taxes on small businesses, which create the majority of jobs.

* And there still hasn't been any significant financial regulatory reform, which was the cheif cause of the severe recession in the first place.

But in an interview with Katie Couric, he gives himself a "solid B+"!

I hope he and his family have a wonderful Christmas at their $4000/a day getaway in Hawaii.

[BubberMiley]

* His record spending economic stimulus bill (which wasn't really designed as an economic stimulus) hasn't had any real impact on the economy.

Do you have citations from our parallel Earth II where the stimulus didn't happen? Otherwise, I think saying that the relatively soft landing from the crash of 08 was not the result of the stimulus is like sticking your head in the sand and screaming "lalala!"

You can pretend that Bush's stimulus didn't help, but Bush obviously understood economics better than you.

Edited December 29, 2009 by BubberMiley

[Guest American Woman]

I hope he and his family have a wonderful Christmas at their $4000/a day getaway in Hawaii.

I'm sure they will. It's pretty difficult not to have a wonderful time in Hawaii.

[bush_cheney2004]

I'm sure they will. It's pretty difficult not to have a wonderful time in Hawaii.

BC Premier Gordon Campbell would agree:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e1/Gordon_campbell_arrested_dui.jpg/200px-