Personally, I think Rodney Alexander switching parties from Republican to Democrat right before the filing deadline so as to avoid opposition in the election is a shitty thing to do, and I personally would never do it. However, I do find the reaction from the usual suspects pretty predictable and laughable:
Rodney Alexander, a Democratic congressman from Louisiana, one week ago today filed papers to run for reelection. Two days later, last Friday, fifteen minutes before the deadline for entering the race, this scumbag refiled
Conrad
Democrats are so desperate, they’ll say or do anything to get and keep power. Kerry is the epitome of this democrat spirit. I won’t miss him when he’s gone.
Gregory Litchfield
“Reap what ye sow”
Yeah, no kidding. Although in the interests of consistency, I find Alexander’s actions to be atrocious. Which, by the way, is exactly what I thought of Jim Jeffords.
Phil Gramm definetly did the party switch with some class, and while giving voters the option to send him packing if they didn’t care for it. I can respect that. Yet another reason why I think Gramm was one of the best legislators this nation has ever seen.
shark
The funniest part was when the Reps retook the Senate, and Jeffords hinted he’d switch back for a suitable reward (committe chair)
And they told him to stuff it.
Heh.
Lead Balloons
Yes, Phil Gramm is the gold standard for party-switching with honor. But I would not be as disgusted at Alexander if he moved to the Independent column. I’m not here to defend Jeffords, but that really is apples and oranges, because Jeffords gave his party every chance to keep him in the fold, such as by the simple expedient of letting him chair the committee his seniority entitled him to. Whereas, in the Alexander case, his party was treating him very well indeed.
–LB
JKC
We should also remember that while Jeffords stiffed the GOP, he did NOT become a Democrat. Given that he still tipped control of the Senate back to the Democrats by doing so, my conservative friends may not see much of a distinction here. I think it does exist, though.
bmcvicker
There’s an online mag that’s got the goods on Alexander. Northlapolitics.com is supposed to go online monday and word has it that they found a letter Alexander wrotes days before his switch indicating what he was going to do.
If its true. There can be no doubt that this was a conspiracy to fix and election.