Everyone Lines Up To Take On Griffith
By Reid Wilson
Rep. Parker Griffith (R-AL) is now the first GOPer to represent his district following his party switch, but the Huntsville-based seat has never actually elected anyone from his new party.
That means Dems will do their best to seriously contest the seat, and the party already has a well-known potential candidate taking a look at the race in state Ag. Commis. Ron Sparks (D). Sparks, who is currently in the GOV race, wrote on his Facebook page that the DCCC called him yesterday, per Swing State Project.
"As you may know, I received a call from the DCCC yesterday regarding the 5th congressional seat abandoned by Parker Griffith. We will be considering all of our options in the days and weeks ahead," Sparks wrote in a status update.
Meanwhile, Griffith was received with open arms by GOPers on Capitol Hill, and for good reason: His defection is a very public blow to the Dem majority. But GOPers in his district, and in the activist class, are less thrilled.
Businessman Les Phillip (R) and Madison Co. Commis. Mo Brooks (R) each said they would stay in the race, and that they look forward to debating Griffith. And though Griffith's party label has changed, the issues GOPers will press him on have not.
"I look forward to debating Parker Griffith and giving him every opportunity to explain to Republican Primary voters how Parker Griffith's vote to empower House Speaker Pelosi and how his 800+ votes with House Speaker Pelosi are in the best interest of America or qualify him to represent Republican Party values in the upcoming general election," Brooks wrote in a statement.
"I have to admit Congressman Parker Griffith is right about how this health care reform bill will tragically and adversely affect the majority of Americans and small business," added Phillip. "But, I have to wonder, why the change of heart NOW after Parker Griffith has repeatedly stood behind Nancy Pelosi and participated in the liberal politics going on in Washington today."
In fact, attacking Griffith's conversion as a way to solidify one's own conservative bona fides appeared all the rage on Wednesday. State Treas. Kay Ivey (R), who is running for GOV, blasted Griffith even as she campaigns to head the ticket next year.
"I can't help but regard this 'Road to Damascus' conversion of Parker Griffith's as solely a ploy to cling to his seat in 2010. We're all well-aware of the increasingly negative poll results for Democrats in Alabama and around the nation," Ivey said in a statement. "Political self-preservation isn't a virtue. In fact, political expediency is an insult to every grassroots activist who commits untold hours in devotion to getting candidates elected."
The conservative blog RedState mulled whether a stronger conservative could take Griffith's place in the GOP primary, while the Club for Growth expressed discontent with his voting record, even though Griffith voted against several key parts of the Dem agenda.
Griffith has had a rough first day as a GOPer. As we told you earlier, he lost his committee assignments (Several GOP spokespeople have yet to return emails about which committees he will be reassigned to). He also lost his press secretary; Sean Magers has quit, he confirmed in an email to Hotline OnCall. And Griffith's hometown paper blasted him in an editorial accusing him of political opportunism.
The bottom line is that GOPers have a seat today that they didn't have yesterday. But if Dems run a real candidate -- and Sparks' public note is an indication he's seriously contemplating it -- the seat will get expensive for both the NRCC and the DCCC. Dems outspent GOPers 3-1 there in '08; now, it might actually cost GOPers more to save the seat than it may have to beat Griffith in the first place.
Finally a politician that will stick to his principals.. What a gift that is.. It is refreshing to see someone do what is right..
Why hasn't anyone focused on his (pretty much mostly poor) constituents. His district relies on government spending, on the space program and on TVA type projects. He can't get a dime in anymore.
It's good and all that his principles state he can't remain in a party that has drifted dangerously leftward since, oh, last year when he decided to run on their line in an open seat, but it's another thing to screw over 600,000 people just because you have a tough reelection coming up.
2nd Amendment right? He should be shot.
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