The news has traveled fast today that Alabama congressman Parker Griffith is switching his formal party affiliation from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. The Democratic Party is steamed, and it’s interesting to see what the Democratic Party is steamed about.
Is the Democratic Party steamed that during the 111th Congress, Parker Griffith has failed to support policies to end discrimination, protect environmentally and economically valuable biological resources, end usurious lending abuses, protect mortgage holders, defend the integrity of the constitution and protect Americans’ civil liberties? No, the Democratic Party isn’t steamed about that. Is the Democratic Party outraged that Parker Griffith voted to put women in a second-class status, acting to preserve gender discrimination in hiring and firing, and acting to outlaw women’s insurance for abortion procedures, even when women pay for by their own money? Before he switched to the Republican Party, Parker Griffith was the 2nd most conservative Democrat in the House of Representatives. Griffith actually had a more regressive record in voting and cosponsorship than 18 House Republicans. But no, that wasn’t worth so much as a grimace or a titter by Democratic Party officials.
The Democratic Party isn’t too miffed about those things. But it’s really upset that it gave Parker Griffith some campaign money (including PAC contributions from Rahm Emanuel’s “Our Common Values” fund); now that he’s switched teams Griffith won’t give it back, and that’s why the Democrats are crying foul. Policy, schmolicy: the Democratic Party gets upset when money’s on the line.
