Democrat Representative Bart Stupak reports that the White House and the Democrat leadership is pressuring him to shut up about the health-care bill.  Clearly, this is the most sleaziest Congress ever.

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) said the White House and the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives have been pressuring him not to speak out on the “compromise” abortion language in the Senate version of the health care bill.

“They think I shouldn’t be expressing my views on this bill until they get a chance to try to sell me the language,” Stupak told CNSNews.com in aninterview on Tuesday. “Well, I don’t need anyone to sell me the language. I can read it. I’ve seen it. I’ve worked with it. I know what it says. I don’t need to have a conference with the White House. I have the legislation in front of me here.”

The Michigan Democrat succeeded last month in getting 64 House Democrats to join him in attaching his pro-life amendment to the House version of the health-care bill. The “Stupak amendment,” as the provision is known, would prohibit the federal government from allocating taxpayer money to pay for any part of any health insurance plan that covers abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger.

“I believe our nation is at a crossroads and I can no longer align myself with a party that continues to pursue legislation that is bad for our country, hurts our economy, and drives us further and further into debt,” with those words 67-year-old radiation oncologist and Congressman Parker Griffith officially defected from the Democrat party and became a Republican.  The doctor and now Congressman understands what is at stake and put his country, and his family ahead of his party.  Maybe more Democrats should actually read what their party is doing and decide if these are the people they truly want to support.

Griffith also slammed the health care overhaul making its way through Congress. He was one of 39 House Democrats to vote against a version of the bill that narrowly passed.
“I want to make it perfectly clear that this bill is bad for our doctors,” he said. “It’s bad for our patients. It’s bad for the young men and women who are considering going into the health care field.”

He said after the press conference that his defection had nothing to do with concerns about whether he could win re-election as a Democrat. He also said he had not talked to any fellow Democrats about switching parties along with him.

“If they do, I hope it’s on conviction and not politics,” he said.

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The Democrat Party loses one of its members as Rep. Parker Griffith, a freshman Democrat from Alabama, will announce today that he’s switching parties to become a Republican.  Whispers are that more Democrats are thinking of jumping ship as their party turns more liberal.

According to two senior GOP aides familiar with the decision, the announcement will take place this afternoon in Griffith’s district in northern Alabama.  Expect Democrats to attack the character of Griffith.

Griffith’s party switch comes on the eve of a pivotal congressional health care vote and will send shivers through a Democratic House Caucus that has already been nervous by the recent retirements of a handful of members who, like Griffith, hail from districts that offer prime pickup opportunities for the GOP in 2010.

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