Republicans are turning to one of their newest colleagues to give a response on Saturday to President Obama's weekly radio address. Rep. Parker Griffith of Alabama -- who switched parties late last year, but still has had trouble convincing tea party activists in his district to trust him -- will take up the GOP cause on healthcare reform.
Griffith, a doctor, might seem like a natural to speak on the subject. But Republicans haven't always been so impressed by his medical credentials. A Democratic source reminded Salon that a nasty 2008 attack ad by the National Republican Congressional Committee, during Griffith's first campaign, went after his career as a physician. "What kind of man is Parker Griffith?" the ad asked. Apparently, the answer is that he's the kind of man who doesn't hold a grudge for long against the national GOP.
Watch the ad here:
UPDATE: A spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Ryan Rudominer, sends along this shot at Griffith and the GOP: "If what Republicans said about Parker Griffith's record as a doctor is any guide, their decision to select him as their health care messenger speaks volumes about what the Republican position on health care means for America."
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