What mooncat said! (0.00 / 0)

I vow to personally hound everyone I know to contribute and raise money and knock on doors for any REAL Democrat with backbone and courage who challenges Griffith next year.

Griffith punk'd us hard.

The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die.~Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D. MA)

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by: Redeye @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 17:41:34 PM UTC

Can someone please post this fundraising link at DKOS? (0.00 / 0)

And anywhere else on the world wide web that might get some Democratic notice?  It's imperative that we encourage a top-flight DEMOCRATIC candidate (a real one this time) to get into this race.

I would do it myself but I was supposed to meet my mother half an hour ago ...

Work harder and work smarter!

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by: mooncat @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 17:47:47 PM UTC

Honestly, I'm shocked... (4.00 / 3)

...shocked that the Alabama Democrats haven't already put together a Democratic opponent for Griffith.  Nobody has been happy with this guy on either side of the aisle, though I did notice some of the more far right bloggers (rather humerously) changed their tune the second that he had a new letter behind his name.  Suddenly he's a marvelous rebel as opposed to that bastard who voted for Nancy Pelosi.

Seriously, I know she's your gal if you're a Dem, but the party needs to take that vote for Pelosi and dig it in just as hard as they can to get someone else in-- even if it's another Republican.  I'd much rather see someone who's honest about his affiliations get that seat than someone who's proven himself to be a fraud.  Griffith doesn't deserve another term.

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by: Almoderate @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 17:57:31 PM UTC

Greetings from New Mexico! And yes, news travels fast. (4.00 / 3)

Good riddance PG. We knew this switch had to be coming, it was the only way to explain your ignorant words and votes. Now you have joined the ignorant team and you can TRY to keep your seat.  I for one will do everything in my power to bring you down.

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by: melmel @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 18:12:56 PM UTC

Shocked! (4.00 / 1)

I am shocked, SHOCKED I say, that a man who pandered to teabaggers with death panels and immigrant hysteria at his August town halls has decided to switch parties.

Website || Twitter

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by: Osborne Ink @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 18:42:41 PM UTC

Ron Sparks? (4.00 / 4)

I've gotten two calls and several emails suggesting that Ron Sparks run for this seat.

And the more I think about it, that may be a good idea. 

A strong candidate with North Alabama roots.  People would get behind him immediately and he could raise lots of $$ right off the bat.

He may be too deeply invested in the governor's race now, but recall that earlier this year he was still trying to decide which office to run for.  Perhaps the situation is still so fluid that he'd consider it.

I'd get behind him if he'd run - with $$ and legwork.

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."  - John Kenneth Galbraith

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by: countrycat @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 18:59:40 PM UTC

Geography. (4.00 / 2)

Although the Constitution only requires a Representative to reside in the state from which he's elected, Sparks is not a resident of the Fifth District, which might be a political problem, if not a legal one. He's from DeKalb County, which is in AddledDolt's Fourth District.

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by: PubliusIX @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 21:54:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That was my first response when contacted. (4.00 / 1)

And yet candidates in other states (maybe in Alabama too.. anyone?) have run and won.

What I'm hearing is the reminder of what a GREAT speaker Sparks is and how he could lay waste to a Republican opponent.

I'd certainly rather have him as my Congressman as Griffith or Brooks.  And that's true whether he's from DeKalb County, Phoenix, or Mars....

But you're right.  That's an important political consideration that we can't discount at all.

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."  - John Kenneth Galbraith

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by: countrycat @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 22:00:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Ron would be great (4.00 / 2)

I think he would be a fantastic Congressman. He is great when he can concentrate on a couple of issues and run with them.

I think it would be a phenomenal idea. And it helps us avoid a divisive gubernatorial primary.

I haven't heard too many other names outside of Deborah Bell Pasuer and Susan Parker that would give us a chance. Either of those would be great choices if Ron stays put.  

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by: gradyw @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 00:08:25 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

If you want your money back... (4.00 / 2)

According to this story I just came across on Mark Ambinder's blog, if you gave money to Griffith and want it back, contact his office.  They will refund contributions to donors who wish for their money back.

This is likely for the '09-10 period, but I'm not sure--if you gave money for the '08 race and want it back, contact the office as well.

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by: csduke @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 21:40:04 PM UTC

Of course, this early in the cycle (4.00 / 1)

it's all PAC money.  And they don't give a damn what party he's with as long as he's their buddy.

Still, if I'd given him even a dime, I'd want it back.

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."  - John Kenneth Galbraith

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by: countrycat @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 21:44:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Loves the Insurance Industry. Hates Alabamians. (4.00 / 2)

.
A disgusting person.  Just disgusting.

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by: BenGoshi @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 21:45:30 PM UTC

parker refunds (4.00 / 2)

I'm not concerned about the relative pennies i gave to the parker campaign. what bothers me is that i'm on the record in letters to the editor supporting him as a good Bud Cramer type democrat, and i'm on the record with many, many individuals i asked to vote for parker, with assurances that he would be a good democrat with an awareness of what helps north alabaMa.

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by: ivan @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 21:46:47 PM UTC

If only Jews (4.00 / 2)

believed in Hell.

I could rest content that Parker - along with Lieberman - would get their just reward.

But since I can't trust that it will happen after death.... I'll just have to work that much harder while they're still alive!

 

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."  - John Kenneth Galbraith

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by: countrycat @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 21:49:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

you should ask for it back anyway (4.00 / 1)

to get others to do the same

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by: jpo227 @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 03:31:43 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

A latter day Alicibiades (4.00 / 2)

The Washington Post is reporting that "In the immediate aftermath of Parker's switch, his entire consulting team quit ..."  It doesn't state whether that includes his district-side staff, e.g., Joey Ceci.  It also refers to the names of Susan Parker and Deborah Bell Paseur as potential Democratic challengers.  Some blogs of unenlightened orientation are already calling for him to have primary challengers, pointing to his 84% record of support for the Democratic Caucus position.

 

An advanced thought: there will be town hall meetings. They will be covered by the media, most of whom will want some balancing quotes.  If someone's there to say, (and I am only suggesting) "Parker Griffith has voted for the big insurance companies" over and over until it makes the editing cut ...

 

Finally, one inquiry to the site admins: any chance we can suspend the site rules regarding abusive and obscene language for 24 hours so we can all vent fully? ;)

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by: PubliusIX @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 22:20:31 PM UTC

Venting is welcome! (4.00 / 2)

But please tone down the language if possible... ;-)

We'll be as tolerant as we can be though.  If anyone deserved epithets, it's Parker Griffith.

Remember Redeye's prescient description of him?

Wayne Parker Griffith

We voted for one and seem to somehow have gotten both.

Ok.. I'll kick off the criticism.... LYING WEASEL SON OF A BITCH BASTARD!

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."  - John Kenneth Galbraith

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by: countrycat @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 22:23:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Damn! (4.00 / 2)

I used an * in my thread title!!!

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by: Gayla @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 22:39:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

It was on the front page (4.00 / 1)

so the  * was welcome!! ;-)

Feel free to vent here though....

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."  - John Kenneth Galbraith

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by: countrycat @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 22:50:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thank you, Country. (4.00 / 1)

Il est un bâtard malhonnête et corrompu! (After LiA frustrated all my efforts to use the Cyrillic characters from a standard font.)

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by: PubliusIX @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 23:20:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Politico has a little more on the consulting team (4.00 / 2)

Apparently, Joey Cici is staying on board Griffith's team.

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by: csduke @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 23:02:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Stay out of the comment section on that Politico post (4.00 / 1)

They're nasty.

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by: Kathy @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 01:52:28 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

QUICK NEWS ALERT (4.00 / 2)

Griffith will be on WAFF 48 in a few minutes (towards the end of the newscast).  I don't know if he will be on there at 6 or on another network.

You may email questions to news@waff.com.

 

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by: csduke @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 23:06:42 PM UTC

M'Cat, you NEED to get on the Ed Show. (4.00 / 2)

.

 I'm sorely afraid that either Markos, who doesn't know nor care squat about Alabama, or one of the Montgomery People (who aren't much better, at least when it comes to YOUR Congressional District) will be the one getting all the airtime over the next couple of days.  Time to get a publicist.

 By the way, Griffith's either a LIAR or an IGNORAMUS:  he damn well knew the Democratic Party's position on health care reform long before he ran, as well as during last year's campaign.  And, in fact, that position has moved to the friggin' Right (i.e., the Insurance Robber Barons have had their hand more on the tiller than Obama).

 So which is it, Griffith?  You a LIAR or an IGNORAMUS?

 Well?

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by: BenGoshi @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 23:31:28 PM UTC

I Second That Emotion (4.00 / 3)

in the words of William Smokey Robinson.

Mooncat would be great on the Ed Show! 

 

"This is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. This is about the whole system being against us." - an Occupy protester at Obama's Des Moines office.

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by: Dardango @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 00:44:45 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I have to say something racial or maybe it is racist (4.00 / 1)

I spent too much of my youth in the fight against racist acts and laws when I could have used the time to read more books, get laid, or just look at the sunset. I saw the society get better.

I feel a bit of something positive when I go into a restaurant and a young blonde waitress asks, what are you having today, honey? It is what she says to all old folk, male, female, black, white, whichever now.  That means something.

I can even root for the major college teams in my state now. Yep.

I was really scared during the tenure of President Bush, Cheney, and gang; it was scarier than all the racial and racist troubles of my youth in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi.

The Bush administration spied and wire taped on white folks too; now that was really scary.

Soon as more and more white folk and black folk can get along, along comes a Republican administration that wants to enslave ‘em all.

Representative Griffith joins the slave owners who want to own white folk too.

This is an irrational argument, but fit for the times.
 

Qui bibit, dormit; qui dormit, non peccat; qui non peccat, sanctus est; ergo qui bibit sanctus est.

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by: SaintSatinStain @ Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 23:46:52 PM UTC

Huff Post political newsflash on Facebook had a great posting. (4.00 / 2)

It came across with the blurb "Everybody hates Griffith". Here is the full article,

Parker Griffith's Party Switch: He Won't Be Missed, He Won't Be Welcomed [UPDATED]

 

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by: melmel @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 00:35:38 AM UTC

Mo (4.00 / 2)

... Brooks has already held a press conference to draw a line in the sand vis-a-vis staying in the GOP primary despite Griffith's switch. I have to say, if I were forced to vote in such a primary, he'd get my vote, between the two. He's a thick reactionary, but at least he's a sincere, thick reactionary.  At his press conference today, he is quoted as saying, "We need a congressman who will promote NASA, national defense, TVA and the private sector that enable us to take care of our family ..."  Proof that irony apparently was not on the syllabus when young Mr. Brooks was a student at Duke.

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by: PubliusIX @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 00:56:47 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Oh, don't blame Duke (4.00 / 3)

For his lack of logical skills, that was his ineptude that comes into play right there.  Now if he had attended Duke for law school blame them, but this is all goes to the University of Alabama School of Law's fault letting an idiot graduate from their program...

"Hypocrites are those whom pick and choose prejudices while giving accolades for their own..."

"It is what it is."  

http://blkindependent.blogspot...

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by: kayman @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 03:53:19 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

To modify an actual quote of a former Vanderbilt football coach ... (0.00 / 0)

Duke is funny.  Sunday through Friday, they want to be Harvard.  Saturday, they want to be Alabama.

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by: PubliusIX @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 16:30:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

But he's sincere about such awful things! (n/t) (0.00 / 0)

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by: lsmsrbls @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 19:14:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I hereby pledge to donate to the person running against Parker Griffith. (4.00 / 2)

That is, with the reasonable advice I hope to receive here. I do not know the playing field in 05 so I will need your numbers and positions on future candidates.

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by: Sundog @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 04:06:01 AM UTC

AL-05 (4.00 / 1)

Hey Y'all,

Looks like there's one less Blue Dog for me to defend, and quite frankly, that's fine, I'd take Gene Taylor or Jim Marshall over Griffith anyday :)

Shocked and disappointed describe my train of thought right now.

There's a few threads on this, but since this one is getting the most attention I thought I'd ask here (I hope that's ok)

I have a ton of questions about AL-05. I've said before that this is my "go to source" for Alabama politics. I also visit Doc's and do some general searching, but y'all are the best, even when we disagree!

Anyway,

1) Can someone give a short run-down of AL-05 on the overall political lean? I know it's staunchly red on the Presidential level, but what I am asking is more along the lines of "why is this seat historically more Democratic friendly than most seats held by Conservative Democrats". Is there a strong hint of economic populism? Are unions very strong?Is there a strong TVA prescence?

2) I noticed in Bright's comments he mentioned defense and NASA related issues. Will being in the minority really help him garner more earmarks for the district? Common sense would tell me that leaving the majority will harm the voters of AL-05 when it comes to earmarks.

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by: RuralDem @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 04:47:04 AM UTC

Maybe.. (4.00 / 2)

Griffith is projecting that he will be in the majority again in November of 2010.

"This is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. This is about the whole system being against us." - an Occupy protester at Obama's Des Moines office.

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by: Dardango @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 06:20:32 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

To answer your questions (4.00 / 2)

Ruraldem, some good questions.  Here's my take on them.

1)  The Alabama 5th is a New Deal Democratic district that depends on federal funding for a number of things.  The New Deal ties include TVA, which provides power to most of the district (one of the parts of the state where Alabama Power does not have a presence).  It has some of the last areas of rural white Democrats in the state--places such as Jackson County and Lawrence County.  Add to that the Huntsville area, where manna comes from DC rather than Montgomery for Redstone Arsenal, Marshall Space Flight Center, and the number of contractors in Research Park.  Unions have also played a role in the past in parts of this district (but with the shrinking size of the district due to growth in Huntsville, I'm not sure how many of these areas will continue to be in it)  With both of these things, Democrats have done extremely well in this district.   

2)   I generally agree with the assessment.  In the late '90s, one of the things that made Bud Cramer effective in this district was that he was a Democrat that Republicans could convince to come over to support one of their bills--in return, he could get funding for projects in the district.  However, that is not the situation in Congress where Griffith, IMO, would be more effective as a member of the Democratic party--they provide funding and support to keep him on the reservation.  Now that he has gone, he could still get funding for the district, but the Democrats on Appropriations could be punitive.  It also depends on any sort of deals he might have struck in switching parties.

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by: csduke @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 06:21:20 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Excellent point re TVA. (4.00 / 1)

.
 In a way I wish I could wave the proverbial magic wand and make "Government Programs" leave North Alabama for 1 month, beginning. right. now.   Topping the list:  NASA, the DOD and TVA, oh, and Medicare and Social Security (checks).

 When all those Republican engineers, retirees and their tea-partyin' brethren in the rural districts run out of candles, money and food, and find themselves huddled in the corners of their darkened attics (those who haven't keeled-over for lack of gov't-paid medical care) fighting over the last of the tepid rat stew, something tells me that FDR, JFK, LBJ and all those Democrats (and, back in the day, Liberal Republicans!) who fought for these "Programs" will become hallowed names and cries of, "Where's the government?!  Where's the government?!" will rise up from the across the frozen, dark land.

 Should we just call 'em "lazy"?

   

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by: BenGoshi @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 13:45:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I don't know if the party switch will hurt the earmarks so much... (4.00 / 1)

Bud Cramer was obviously an extremely effective advocate for the district, but as soon as Parker Griffith started heavily criticizing Pelosi and Obama I started picturing contracts going down the tubes.  Is a democrat who whines and maligns the democratic leadership really going to be more useful than a republican?  idk.

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by: lsmsrbls @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 19:26:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Actblue (0.00 / 0)

Quick question--is the Actblue link working?  It reaches a dead page when I click it.

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by: csduke @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 06:23:22 AM UTC

Same here. (0.00 / 0)

"This is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. This is about the whole system being against us." - an Occupy protester at Obama's Des Moines office.

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by: Dardango @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 06:41:07 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's at this page (4.00 / 1)

ActBlue - Send Parker Griffith Home

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."  - John Kenneth Galbraith

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by: countrycat @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 13:17:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]