Let’s put the news that Alabama Representative Parker Griffith has switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in its proper context: that of his policy behavior in the House of Representatives. In his consequential voting and cosponsorship behavior, it’s clear that Parker Griffith switched over to the Republican Party long ago.

To his credit, Parker Griffith voted progressively early this year to pass H.R. 2, a measure reauthorizing health insurance for poor children under the state-administered CHIP program. But that is the Alpha and the Omega of Rep. Griffith’s progressive record in the 111th Congress.

Progressive policy priorities that Parker Griffith has failed to support include the following:

H.R. 14 would establish a program of ocean acidification research and monitoring to protect this threatened resource that is both biologically and economically valuable to the United States. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 21 establishes a national oceanic policy structure to protect our economically and biologically valuable offshore stock more broadly. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 104 would create a bipartisan independent commission to investigate the constitutional abrogations of the Bush administration. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 223 would expand the borders of the marine sanctuary in the Gulf of the Farralones. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 579 would assist states in making school buildings more energy efficient, an effort that is environmentally and economically responsible. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 591 would repeal the Military Commissions Act and its rules of evidence by hearsay and torture. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 626 upholds family values by giving federal employees four weeks of parental leave to care for a new child. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 676 would expand Medicare to cover every American citizen. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 790 would stop offshore drilling in the Georges Bank, protecting the biologically rich fish preserve for environmental protection and for economic use as a fishery. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 981 would ban the use of child-killing cluster bombs by the U.S. government. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 1024, the Uniting American Families Act, would end reform immigration laws discriminating against same-sex couples when one member of a couple is a citizen or permanent resident and the other is seeking citizenship or residency status. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 1310 would end the practice of dumping the heavy metal toxic remainders of mountaintop removal upstream from American communities. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 1726 would protect Americans from having their belongings seized at the U.S. border and kept indefinitely by border agents without probable cause or the barest reason for suspicion. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 2517 would end discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans in the provision of federal employee benefits. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 2704 is a bill to shut down the government domestic satellite spying of the National Applications Office. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 3017 is a bill to outlaw firing and hiring discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 3567 would end marriage discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans by repealing the Defense of Marriage Act. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 3591 sets up a small pilot program to teach high school children about the United States Constitution. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

H.R. 4300 would prohibit credit card companies from raising rates on credit card holders in good standing to more than a 16% annual interest rate. Parker Griffith has failed to cosponsor this bill.

It’s not just through inaction that Parker Griffith has failed to align himself with progressive politics in the 111th Congress. Parker Griffith has actively pushed regressive, Republican-style policies using the powers of his congressional seat:

Parker Griffith voted against videotaping interrogations to ensure that people aren’t tortured in American custody.

Parker Griffith voted in favor of job discrimination against women in pay and hiring.

Parker Griffith voted against letting bankruptcy judges restructure mortgage payments so that regular working people can stay in their homes and continue to pay their debts, even though wealthy Americans who declare bankruptcy get to do that with their vacation homes.

Parker Griffith voted to prevent stockholders from being able to control the compensation of executives in the very corporations those stockholders own.

Parker Griffith voted to outlaw coverage for abortion services under private insurance plans, even when women pay for that insurance entirely out of their own pocket.

Parker Griffith moved to the Republican Party in name today; he moved to the Republican Party in practice long ago.