Although he switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican in 1994, Shelby had little to say about Griffith, who made his own switch last December.

“He has to win his race on the battlefield,” said Shelby, adding if Griffith is re-elected in November, there’s a “very good chance” he may be placed on the House Appropriations Committee.

Really?  Parker Griffith on the House Appropriations Committee? That would be quite the plum job indeed.  But looking at the current make up of the HAC the likelihood that Griffith would be given one of those highly sought after assignments is VERY unlikely.

There are 59 members on the HAC representing a total of 34 states, which means 16 states don’t have a seat at the table.  Two of Alabama’s seven House members are already on the HAC (Bonner and Aderholt).  Both are expected to be reelected and will almost certainly not step aside to allow Griffith take one of their seats.  What is the possibility that Alabama would get a third seat at the table?  Slim to none.

Of the states with more than two representatives in Congress Alabama has the 2nd most representation on the HAC, with 29% of our delegation on the committee.  Only Kentucky, which also has two HAC members but only six representatives, has a greater percentage of their delegation on the committee (33%).  If Alabama were to get another seat on HAC then Alabama would FAR exceed any other state with 43% of our delegation on the committee.  Currently only five states have more than two members on the HAC: Ohio (3), New York (4), Florida (4), Texas (5), and California (7).  Among those states Ohio has the fewest total representatives with 18.

Maybe Shelby was just spouting off to help out a fellow party switcher, but I really don’t think it is even remotely likely that Griffith would stumble onto the HAC in the unlikely event he wins reelection.

Members of an Alabama House committee have heard impassioned and conflicting over a bill to dramatically increase penalties for cockfighting.

Bird breeders argued Wednesday that the animals are often raised for shows and not for fighting. Officials with the Humane Society described cockfighting as a cruel practice and said the birds often have sharp blades on their legs.

The House Agriculture and Forestry Committee did not vote after the public hearing that lasted for about two hours.

Currently it’s a misdemeanor to participate in cockfights, with a fine of $20 to $50. The bill debated Wednesday would carry a fine of up to $10,000 and up to one year in jail for a first conviction. It would provide a $20,000 fine and one to 10 years in prison for a second conviction.

Well, at least if they’re troubling themselves with such issues they aren’t messing up other things at the moment.

Rep. Phil Williams is on the committee that deals with cockfighting and had some amusing comments via his Twitter and Facebook feeds:

2 hour hearing on cockfighting. Just shoot me.

3hours of cockfighting. Now it’s about gambling. Can I make an “electronic cockfighting machine”???

Now it’s about the fights and violent crimes that break out at cockfights. Anyone remember “little Jerry Seinfeld”???

More than 3 birds constitutes “a flock of cocks”.

Good to see a politician with a sense of humor.  I can’t help but wonder if this is what he anticipated when he ran for office.  I’m sure candidates have big dreams of the sweeping changes and reforms they’ll enact once elected, but then they win and what do they deal with?  Cockfighting.

As a big Seinfeld fan I feel obliged to post the highlights of the “Little Jerry Seinfeld” episode.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Party-switching Rep. Parker Griffith (R-Ala.) on Tuesday cut a $7,000 check to a local veterans’ memorial foundation in an effort to distance himself from a pair of campaign donations he received from scandal-tinged Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.)

The National Republican Congressional Committee has called on Democratic members to return Rangel’s past contributions to their campaigns amid the scandal that caused the New York lawmaker to step down as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

But Griffith’s financial connection to Rangel wasn’t brought to light until the local press asked him about the two donations from Rangel — which came during the 2008 cycle — at a fundraiser that House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) held for the Griffith on Monday.

Griffith spokeswoman Heather Johnson said Tuesday evening that after the $2,000 donation from Rangel and $5,000 donation from Rangel’s political action committee were brought to Griffith’s attention, he decided to cut the check to the Madison County Veterans Memorial Foundation.

Kudos to CQ Politics for not ending the story there and blindly regurgitating the talking point Griffith wanted to distribute.  They hammer him on the first thing that came to my mind when I read the headline:

The move by Griffith to donate the amount of the 2008 donations from Rangel appears to be an exception to a policy the congressman announced earlier this year, when he was being asked by Democratic donors to return contributions they had made to his 2008 campaign in the wake of his December party switch.

While Griffith has returned donations made to his 2010 campaign, he released a statement in mid-January saying that he would be unable to return donations made to his 2008 campaign.

“While I understand your feelings regarding my recent decision to join the Republican Conference, we are unable to refund any contributions from the previous campaign cycle. Our records indicate that your contribution was made toward my 2008 campaign debt and those funds were spent during that election contest,” Griffith said in the statement.

Johnson explained that the Rangel donations are being treated differently because they represent an ethical issue.

It seems to me that Griffith’s lie about not being able to refund 2008 contributions after promising to do so is the ethical issue here.  How can Griffith say he is giving away these two 2008 contributions, but can’t refund other 2008 contributions?  Oh, what a tangled web we weave…

City Councilwoman Sandra Moon, who has represented most of South Huntsville on the city council for the past twelve years, has publicly announced that she will not seek reelection to a fourth term in office.  A well-respected member of the council, she recently began to spread word of her decision to her constituents, as well as informing Mayor Tommy Battle, her city council peers, and the city department heads.

Update: Here is the AL.com article.

Links to other coverage (will be updated):

• Left in Alabama (represented by both Mooncat and Countrycat)
• WAFF (you have to hunt down the video)
• Doc’s Political Parlor
• Progressive Electorate (they linked here calling this a “Republican blog”)
• The Huntsville Times (see update below)
• WAAY
• Decatur Daily

All three news stations and the Huntsville Times were there.  Lots of familiar faces from both sides of the isle were there.  If Will Anderson was there I didn’t see him and I’m deeply sorry if he is offended.

Moral of the story: local folks don’t care for Griffith and the national party would be well wise to keep out.

Update: Check out this excerpt from the Times article:

Griffith said he “appreciated” that so many people were using their constitutional right to express themselves.

“They’re disappointed, I know,” Griffith said after a brief news conference with himself and Boehner. “But the people don’t always have access to the same information I have. I think if they’d known that (President Barack Obama) was getting ready to cut missile defense and perhaps cancel the Constellation program, which would kill thousands of jobs here, they might have felt differently.

“I appreciate their protest, but I have to look at a much bigger picture than that. If they will allow me some time, I can demonstrate what I can do.”

We’ve given you plenty of time, Griffith.  You have to admire his chutzpah, effectively calling the protesters stupid by claiming we didn’t know what Obama was planning on doing.  The way I see it he’s the one who either went to Washington clueless or under false pretenses.  Obama admitted during the campaign he wanted to cut missile defense, yet Griffith ran on the same ticket with him.  What the Democrats are doing is not a surprise.

Here’s a sampling of the pictures I took:

Parker Griffith = Benedict Arnold

Side note: I though of a new slogan after looking at Mo Brooks’ sign: “Mo Brooks: Proven Conservative, Parker Griffith: Proven Con”

Kids like Mo Brooks

No Parker Griffith!

Huntsville Tea Party founder Christie Carden wants the National GOP to stay out

Former Griffith supporter gets it: Griffith only cares about Griffith

Countrycat from Left in Alabama: Parker Griffith is a Political Adulterer

No Parker Griffith Any Time

Even jugglers don't like Griffith

No honor, no trust, no Parker Griffith

Another 'Dede Moment' for GOP

Griffith is an opportunist

A good shot of the 250 protesters

Press release for their town hall:

(HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA) –Representative Howard Sanderford (R-Huntsville) and Senator Paul Sanford (R-Huntsville) will together hold a legislative update town hall meeting on Monday, March 8, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at Cove United Methodist Church. After their prepared remarks, Rep. Sanderford and Sen. Sanford will be available for questions from members of the community and the media.

“As a legislator, it’s vital to have open lines of communication with constituents,” said Representative Sanderford. “That’s why we’re holding this legislative update. Today, Alabama families are in need of a fix to the PACT program and illegal immigration solutions. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the legislature, it’s that you have to listen to the people” he continued.

“If the arrogance of the U.S. Congress in regards to the health care ‘reform’ bill they’re trying to shove down our throats has taught us anything, it should be that elected officials need to be responsive to their voters,” commended Sen. Sanford. “I look forward to the opportunity to listen to the concerns, ideas and comments of the people of Huntsville,” he concluded.

Paul Sanford was elected to the Alabama Senate in a special election in June. He and his wife Danielle own and operate “little Paul’s Barbecue” in Huntsville. The couple has two children, Chase and Ryan.

Howard Sanderford, a retired Marine, former executive with IBM, and now owner of Computer Leasing Company, has served in the Alabama Legislature since 1989. He is currently a board member of the Alabama Space and Rocket Center, Volunteers of America of North Alabama, YMCA, Alabama Men’s Hall of Fame, and Alabama Board of Medical Scholarship Awards. Mr. Sanderford and Dot, his wife, have three adult daughters and are active members of the First Baptist Church of Huntsville.

Details of the protest:

HUNTSVILLE, AL– Not long after invitations were sent out for a Rep. Parker Griffith fundraising event, headlined by House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), several local organizations from both sides of the political spectrum announced plans to protest the event. Planned for March 8, 2010 at the Space & Rocket Center, starting at 5:00 pm, the protest will include members of the Huntsville Tea Party, Left In Alabama, Athens-Limestone Tea Party Patriots, AAMU Democrats Student Club, The Dale Jackson Show, North Alabama Healthcare for All, Madison County Republican Executive Committee, and the Limestone County Republican Executive Committee. AFL-CIO will be holding a press conference at the Marriott Hotel near the Space & Rocket Center in protestation, before the protest event and the fundraiser. Organizers invite the public to attend.

“We are sending a message to the national Republican establishment: stay out of our primary. We also want to support the true conservative candidates that Tea Party activists and the local GOP have gotten behind, Les Phillip and Mo Brooks. We’re pushing back against the political machine,” said Christie Carden, founder of the Huntsville Tea Party.

“Bipartisanship is not dead. People of all political persuasions see that Parker Griffith is an opportunist who cannot be trusted to keep his word. As such, he is not – nor can he ever be – an effective representative for North Alabama. Griffith gave up critical committee assignments at a time when the 5th District is fighting for federal transportation and space dollars, clearly demonstrating that he cares more about his reelection prospects than his constituents. Now, Congressman Boehner is displaying the same indifference to local concerns by meddling in the Republican primary. Such behavior deserves no reward,” said Sherry Walker, publisher of Left In Alabama blog, who is encouraging her readers to attend the protest.

That’s right – no one likes Parker Griffith!  Democrats despise him because he’s lied to them repeatedly.  Conservatives oppose him because he is an unprincipled life long Democrat who is only adopting conservative positions out of political expediency.  And area Republicans don’t take kindly to the national party meddling in a local race.

More details at Left in Alabama.  They also sent out this handy flyer showing you where you can (and can’t) park and where protesters are allowed to stand.  One good suggestion I heard is to bring a camera with a telephoto lens to take pictures of those attending the fundraiser.

After months of playing it coy, Senator Hinton Mitchem (D-Union Grove) is telling his close friends that he’s not going to seek re-election.  And how does he plan to thank the Democrats for their support over the years?  He’s going to endorse one of the Republicans in the race for his seat – and it won’t be his long-time accountant Tony Cochran.  Realtor Don Spurlin will get the official nod, according to those close to the senator, much to the chagrin of Joey Masters, Marshall County Revenue Commissioner, who thought he was Hinton’s “Chosen One” until losing grace with the senator when Joey switched to the Republican party a few years ago.

Between the post and the comments on that story two people argued they each had close sources to Mitchem that offered conflicting accounts.  Suffice it to say that Mitchem seems to like keeping an air of mystery about his future intentions.

So here’s the question: if Mitchem decides not to seek re-election and he endorses a Republican before the primary does that help or hurt that Republican?  After the primary it can only help, but I don’t know enough about how Republicans in that district view Mitchem to guess at how they would respond to to the GOP candidate he endorsed.

The UAH College Republicans will be holding its first meeting of the year on Thursday, March 4 at UAH in Room 131 of the University Center. The meeting will run from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Madison City Council President and State Senate district 2 candidate Bill Holtzclaw will be the speaker. All Republican (and those who want to find out more about the Republican

party) UAH students are invited to attend.