Obama ends year with growing disapproval - Parker Griffith (D-AL) first to switch to GOP – Health Care Drives Debate

According to Rasmussen ReportsDaily Presidential Tracking Poll, Obama’s approval rating has hit another low; with only 25% of respondents approving of the president’s job performance. Key among issues is the Health Care Reform Bill currently before the Senate; with a majority (55%) of American’s hardly enamored of the legislation.

One of those, Rep. Parker Griffith, a Democrat Congressman from Alabama announced today that he would be switching to the GOP Politico broke the story earlier today:

A radiation oncologist who founded a cancer treatment center, Griffith plans to blast the Democratic health care bill as a prime reason for his decision to switch parties—and is expected to cite his medical background as his authority on the subject.

Griffith is one of many “Blue Dog” (fiscally conservative, pro-life) democrats who were recruited by Rham Emanuel in 2008 in order for the DNC to gain a majority in the house. Over the summer recess, many of these conservative Democrats heard from constituents who were not at all pleased with the plan to “reform” the nation’s health care system, reduce Medicare, increase Medicaid, and add trillions to an already bloated deficit.

The Alabama GOP issued a press release noting the “pleasant surprise”. Griffith’s district had traditionally been held by a Democrat, but has trended Republican in the past few years. Should Obama with Reid and Pelosi continue to pursue a course of action that is clearly not palatable to the majority of American’s, those Senators and Congressmen who, like Nelson (NE) and Dodd (CT) signed on over the past weekend, will most likely be forced into early retirement. The question remains how many Democrats who are facing stiff GOP opposition in their states and districts will choose early retirement, and or a change in Party.