Blue Dog Dem Drops Support for Pelosi
By Don Irvine | August 26, 2009
Freshman Rep. Parker Griffith (D-AL) announced that he won’t vote for Nancy Pelosi as speaker again because she is divisive and polarizing.
From The Hill
A freshman House Democrat from Alabama said Tuesday he would not vote for Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as Speaker again because of her “divisive and polarizing” image.
“I would not vote for her,” Rep. Parker Griffith (D-Ala.) told a constituent at a town hall meeting when asked if he’d support Pelosi. “Someone that divisive and that polarizing cannot bring us together.”
Griffith represents a conservative district in Alabama that had been long held by former Rep. Bud Cramer (D), who retired after nine terms. Griffith is one of the most conservative Democrats in the House and has bucked leadership and the White House on healthcare and other issues.
Griffith told constituents that only Blue Dog Democrats could prevent the healthcare bill from moving forward in the House, The Huntsville Times reported. He said that conservative Republicans couldn’t stop Democratic priorities.
The first-term lawmaker won last fall with 52 percent of the vote in a district carried by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). He’s expected to face a tough reelection challenge from a Republican next fall.
Analysts have highlighted Griffith’s district as one likely to flip to Republican control next fall. The Cook Political Report recently projected that Democrats could lose at least 20 seats in next year’s midterm elections.
Griffith joked that if Pelosi didn’t care for his criticism, he has a message for her.
“If she doesn’t like it, I’ve got a gift certificate to the mental health center,” he said, according to the Times.
In 2007 and again in 2009, Pelosi received unanimous support from House Democrats in the elections for Speaker.
Pelosi is in trouble with some fellow Democrats for failing to push through legislation like health care reform despite enjoying a large numerical advantage over the Republicans. She has come off to many as coarse and that hasn’t helped her either. In the end Griffith’s pledge may not matter much. He may not be in office when it is time to vote for the next speaker and it is possible that the Democrats could see their majority shrink or disappear entirely in 2010 unless they turn things around quickly. If the Democrats take a big hit next year Pelosi could be out even if they retain control of the House.
Post #2284
Correct. And I clearly warned George Behan, the Chief of Staff for my old pal and UW Law school roommate Democrat Cong. Norm Dicks, about Pelosi 3 years ago, that she was power-mad and literally nuts, and that she would bring down the House Dems. She is right on schedule, just as I forewarned. John Stafford, J.D., and a former Congressional Staffer for 3 Members, going back to 1966
3 Cheers for Rep. Griffith. More of the Blue’s Brothers better get on this wagon of his.
This is a Democrat I might have voted for if he were running in my state.
The Speaker’s second in command, Steny Hoyer may be an effective Democrat, but any thing is better than Pelosi. Hope I do not have to eat these words. <smiling>
Wesley of Dallas is right. I know because Steny has been a personal friend since 1961, when he got me to go on the same ballot with him in the Free State Party and win big—-myself for the SGA Treasurer and Steny as VP—-at Maryland U., in the Class of 1963, where I attended and graduated after honorably resigning from the USNA and my Presidential appointment from “Ike” and as the youngest Midshipman at age 17 in 1958, because the all-engineering curriculumn and officer training program there was SO poor, just as my Chevy Chase, DC neighbor Adm. Rickover confirmed a mere 1 year later in his Congressional testimony before the US Senate Armed Services Committeee and my good friend Sen. “Scoop” Jackson, who was Hyman’s “political angel” for decades as the good Admiral built our nuclear Navy against the fierce opposition from other Admirals. The Admiral advised that the Naval Academy be abolished, it was THAT bad in those days, in multiple ways, just as it HAD been abolished once before in the 1800’s! Fortunately, there has been vast improvement there since 1959, following close on the heels of the vast improvements that Gen. MacArthur had made at West Point 30 years before when he was its Superintendent. But I digress. Steny is a firm liberal, and sadly pro-abortion [I have tried to change his mind and heart on that core issue] but otherwise is a decent guy, rational, smart, and a patriot—-NOT like nutso Pelosi, with whom Steny served on the staff of the former MD US Sen. Daniel Brewster in their youth. Pelosi was then a mere secretary, though her father was a corrupt & mob-connected Democrat Mayor of now-murder-capital of America, Baltimore. I have waged 51 political campaigns since helping Gen. Eisenhower in 1952 when I was only age 11. NEVER have I seen such anger as I do now in the voting public—-“and rightly so”. So the Republicans MAY well take back the US House in 2010—-IF that anger IS in fact actually turned into votes to “throw the bums out”. And Pelosi MAY not matter much any more, thank God.
Was it Steny Hoyer or Fortney Stark that got caught claiming a false home address for tax purposes? There was only one mention of it in the so-called “MSM”. As always, dirt about democrats always gets quickly swept under the rug.
I don’t think Pelosi did a thing about it.
C.Roy, it was Fortney Stark was accused of tax fraud using a lot number as an Address.
This is something which has never changed, due to builders/developers, a lot number is a legal address, long before construction, for the sole practice of owners of that land to pay the yearly taxes (which are relatively small on undeveloped land), since it is a vacant lot, with only a lot number for them to go by as a location. Our Sub-Division is on the furthest northern part of Houston, we still get bills from meter readers, and surprisingly enough, our satellite company, it lists the lot number, while the physical assigned numbered address is used on our utility bills.
That is exactly what Fortney Stark did to avoid taxes.
Oddly enough this reminds me of Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL). In July 2008, Wexler’s challenger has accused the six-term congressman of playing a residency shell game, saying Wexler, D-Delray Beach, uses his mother-in-law’s address in Delray Beach while flagrantly making his home in a Maryland suburb. The DelRay Community, is a retirement home gated Community for Seniors. Wexler finally admitted to using his mother-in-law’s address, although he and his wife had only visited twice and slept on her fold out couch. While they had been living continuously for almost six years in Maryland, an expensive large home. Somehow he was able to get around this tax cheating, here again Pelosi did nothing, and killed any investigation.
What is most disturbing, is the Media already knew this was going on, and said nothing.
August 26 at 4:51 pm | #1 | Link
Rep. Parker Griffith (D-AL) is one smart man.