Why did Parker Griffith vote AGAINST the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act?

Official portrait, Parker Griffith, MD as freshman member of the United States House of Representatives, Alabama 5th Congressional District.

Campaign photograph – 53rd Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, Jr., MD

As a politician, Parker Griffith has been described as “maverick.”

To describe it diplomatically, he has been “somewhat unpredictable.”

To be blunt, he’s a loose cannon.

His most recent political aspiration includes 2014 candidacy for Alabama governor under the Democratic ticket, challenging first term Republican Robert Bentley (described as “wildly popular”), whom is similarly a retired physician, and former Alabama State House Representative from Tuscaloosa, whom has publicly announced his opinion that he will be re-elected during a tour of Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women, where sexual assaults, and abuses of innumerable kind have become so rampantly commonplace that Alabama’s prison system is verging upon federal takeover.

It was during his tour of that prison that “Our kindly country doctor governor toured Tutwiler in early March and quietly said, “we are probably going to have to build some new prisons in my second term.””

Griffith’s greatest obstacle is his past. More specifically, the greatest mountain he must conquer is his decision to switch parties (from Democrat to Republican) while in his first term in Congress, which abruptly ended his political aspirations.

The nightmare of his actions still haunts Alabama voters, many whom have not forgotten – including those in his hometown, Huntsville & Madison County. Like the ghastly spectre in Charles Dickens’ classic fiction “A Christmas Carol,” Parker Griffith must come face-to-face with the Ghost of Election Past, and Bentley with the Ghost of Alabama Yet to Come.

And in this real-life play, Bob Cratchit is played by the people, while 18.1% of the state’s population (the state poverty rate) are cast as the sickly child, Tiny Tim. They and others are the ones whom are denied by the Scrooge, played by Governor Bentley and Republican-dominated state legislature.

In reality, Griffith and Bentley play dual roles in this real-life political /social /medical /economic drama.

Charles Dickens circa 1850: he ‘kept on going by taking on too much’. Photograph: Herbert Watkins

Is there salvation for Griffith?

Will Bentley expand Medicaid?

Can anyone really help the citizens of Alabama?

Tune in next time! when we hear _?_ say…

Griffith’s last foray into politics – as Representative for Alabama’s 5th Congressional District – did not bode well, for after the first full year of a two-year term, he announced he was changing political party affiliation, for which he was resoundingly criticized at home by his constituency, in the press for his actions, and then subsequently resoundingly defeated by GOP challenger “Mo” Brooks in the 2010 Republican primary.

When he represented Alabama’s 5th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, Parker Griffith voted against the the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which vote was held Tuesday, January 27, 2009 – which was also the day the bill passed.
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/111-2009/h37

At the time, he was a member of the Democratic Party.

Griffith made his announcement that he was switching from the Democratic to the Republican party Tuesday, December 22, 2009. Parker Griffith was one of FIVE Democrats who voted against the bill.
{NOTE: The site INCORRECTLY identifies Griffith’s party membership as Republican, when, in fact, at the time of the vote –  Tuesday, January 27, 2009 – he was a Democrat.}

Including Parker Griffith, the FIVE Democrats who voted against the bill were:

Nay

D

Griffith, Parker

AL 5th

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/parker_griffith/412277

Nay

D

Boyd, Allen

FL 2nd

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/bobby_bright/412267

Nay

D

Bright, Bobby

AL 2nd

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/allen_boyd/400044

Nay

D

Boren, Dan

OK 2nd

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/dan_boren/400645

Nay

D

Childers, Travis

MS 1st

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/travis_childers/412262

 

However, THREE Republicans did vote for it. They were:

Yea

R

Whitfield, Ed

KY 1st

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/ed_whitfield/400431

Yea

R

Smith, Chris

NJ 4th

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/christopher_smith/400380

Yea

R

Lance, Leonard

NJ 7th

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/leonard_lance/412290

 

The SIX “No Vote” were evenly divided between Democrats & Republicans.

No Vote

R

Young, Don

AK

No Vote

R

Brown-Waite, Ginny

FL 5th

No Vote

D

Lynch, Stephen

MA 9th

No Vote

D

Pallone, Frank

NJ 6th

No Vote

D

Etheridge, Bob

NC 2nd

No Vote

R

Tiberi, Pat

OH 12th

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll037.xml

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/111-2009/h37

S. 181 (111th): Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 (On Passage of the Bill)
House Vote #37 Jan 27, 2009 4:25 p.m.
Passed 250/177

Here’s how Alabama’s delegation voted.

Vote	Party	Representative	District
Alabama
Nay	R	Bonner, Jo	AL 1st
Nay	D	Bright, Bobby	AL 2nd
Nay	R	Rogers, Mike	AL 3rd
Nay	R	Aderholt, Robert	AL 4th
Nay	D	Griffith, Parker	AL 5th
Nay	R	Bachus, Spencer	AL 6th
Yea	D	Davis, Artur	AL 7th

***

See more on Parker Griffith:

Parker Griffith suggests Mo Brooks has adultery with Nancy Pelosi
Posted on Monday, April 12, 2010

Parker Griffith-ing
Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010

Politics, Politics, Politics…
Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010

“I am a Blue Dog Democrat. I must align myself with the Republican Party.”
Posted on Wednesday, December 23, 2009