American Princess: “I really admire his Jim Jeffords-esque commitment to his ideological principles and his party affiliation, which likely paid for his initial election. Its f***ing inspiring is what it is.”

Rep. Parker Griffith, a freshman Democrat from Alabama, who is switching parties to become a Republican, joins 4 moderate Blue Dog Dems who have already announced their retirement — rather than face the inevitable landslide of defeat facing many Democrats in 2010 and 2012.