Earlier today I asked the office of Rep. Bobby Bright (D-AL), now the only remaining conservative Democrat from a McCain district in Alabama, whether he could end up following in the footsteps of Rep. Parker Griffith and leaving the Democratic Party — and I received a very inconclusive answer.
Bright has a lot in common with Griffith, who announced his party switch earlier today: Both are freshmen from districts that voted heavily for John McCain in 2008; they each won their races very narrowly; and both have voted against the big-ticket items of the Democratic agenda this year. So I asked what Bright’s thoughts were on Griffith, whether he was committed to staying with the Democrats, and what his overall concerns might be about the political situation in Congress.
His spokesman just sent me back this statement from the Congressman: “In this season of great promise, we should focus on that which draws us together: faith, family, and service. These are not partisan values and as I have said many times, we are stronger as people, communities, and as a nation when we seek common ground rather than focusing on what divides us. I hope, for a few days at least, we can put politics aside and focus on the true joys of the Christmas season.”
