Blue Dog Congressman Parker Griffth from Alabama makes it official, announces he will become a Republican:

Rep. Parker Griffith, a freshman Democrat from Alabama, will announce today that he’s switching parties to become a Republican.

What did the DCCC and Jim Cooper's Blue Dog Coalition get in return for their support in the eleven months Parker Griffith served with a nominal D after his name? Media Matters has the final score: votes against the stimulus, against equal pay for women, against the budget, against real health care reform, against green jobs, and against financial regulation, as well as a promise back in August to vote for the Republican leader for Speaker of the House next time around:

"I would not vote for her. Someone that divisive and that polarizing cannot bring us together," he said, according to the Huntsville (Ala.) Times.

"If she doesn't like it, I've got a gift certificate to the mental health center," he added.

In June, Griffith joined with fellow Blue Dog Jim Cooper to call for Democrats to give intransigent House Republicans more say in the legislative process, in an attempt to reprise the same delay tactics he used to block health care reform in 1994.

The Blue Dogs sure know how to pick 'em:

Centrist Blue Dog Coalition Endorses Parker Griffith
June 10, 2008

Retired physician and small business owner will bring common sense and fiscal discipline to government

Huntsville, Ala. – Today Dr. Parker Griffith, Democratic candidate for Congress in Alabama 's 5th congressional district, announced that he has received the endorsement of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, a group of conservative Democrats in the House of Representatives who advocate responsible fiscal policies and commonsense government.

A retired physician, Griffith has lived and worked in Huntsville, Alabama for over 30 years. Like many Blue Dogs, he has also developed several local small businesses and understands the needs of small businesses owners.

"I am Honored to be endorsed by the Blue Dogs," Griffith said. "I support their philosophy of working across the aisle to find real solutions to the tough problems facing this country. I look forward to working with them to find ways to cut the deficit, reduce the high cost of health care, and restore fiscal discipline in Congress."

"As a small business owner, Parker Griffith understands the importance of restoring fiscal responsibility to the federal government, and in order to do that we must make the difficult decisions necessary to balance the budget," said Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications. "We are proud to offer Dr. Griffith our endorsement today and look forward to working together to end the partisan bickering in Washington and advance commonsense fiscal policies."

The fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 with the goal of representing the center of the House of Representatives and appealing to the mainstream values of the American public. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States.