Parker Griffith
A freshman Democrat from Alabama, Rep. Parker Griffith, will announce today that he is moving parties to now become a Republican, CBS News Capitol Hill producer Jill Jackson, hears from a GOP congressional leadership source.
Health care , cap and trade bills, and the stimulus, were some of the major Democratic initiatives Griffith voted against this year.
He also said he would never vote House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to be speaker again after speaking out against her.
Politico reported that even so Griffith’s northern Alabama district never elected a Republican for Congress, 61 percent of the votes last year were won by Republican Sen. John McCain in the presidential election, Huntsville being an included district.
Rep. Bud Cramer was replaced when Griffith won the seat last year by a three point margin over Wayne Parker a Republican.
Griffith will likely state that the Democrats health plans are the reason for his switch, as he is a radiation oncologist. Although there are reports that the Republican leadership have since the town hall protests over summer, have been courting him.
The switch will not dramatically change the balance of power in the House chamber being that the Democrats will not have 257 members and the Republicans 176.