The Shelby Shuffle

Matt Osborne's been covering Alabama politics from the left for some time now, so when the Shelby Shakedown story broke, I figured there had to be a pretty compelling local angle besides just plain old pork to put a blanket hold on everything, and it could possibly be related to recent Democrat-turned-Teabagger Parker Griffith, who now looks like Tuscaloosa roadkill to both parties.  Matt does the political calculus and has more of the story...

Alarm bells must have gone off at some point. When did Griffith talk to Senator Shelby, I wonder? Oh, to be a fly on the wall... Which brings us to the strangely coincidental timing of the Politico article and the Senator's sudden, unprecedented bid to hold America's national security hostage.

It is a dead certainty Politico called Griffith for comment. Alabama politics are only slightly more incestuous than Washington's. Griffith must have reached out to Shelby in panic -- or minority leadership.

This is more than just speculation. As reported by the Mobile Press-Register, Shelby's extortion centers on two items: a military aircraft contract in the southern port city of Mobile, and an FBI experimental program in Improvised Explosive Devices for Redstone Arsenal...which just happens to be in Huntsville, the metropolitan heart of AL-5.

Set aside the question of how badly the FBI needs such a facility. The scope and apparent arrogance of Shelby's move is hard to overstate and smells of the usual hypocrisy (I recall a Democrat named Richard Shelby hammering the incumbent Republican over earmarks and pork in 1986). But more importantly, it smacks of desperation.

If Shelby is making a bid to save Griffith, it will almost certainly fail. Obama will have no reason to help Griffith; he may offer Huntsville a bone, but rest assured no shovels will be digging before November. The Arsenal just doesn't work that fast. Any eventual ceremony will feature Barack Obama and Artur Davis.

Parker Griffith has nothing to show for his switch. Even if he wins the nomination, the entire Democratic machine (which remains larger and better-structured than the GOP) is highly motivated against him and enthusiastically participates in oppo research to the benefit of Griffith's primary opponents. Friday's one-of-a-kind holding action could be a Hail Mary pass; Parker Griffith needs a miracle. But the optics for the GOP are terrible, and I expect a savaging on the Sunday shows.

Next, watch as Senator Shelby makes a mess and the party apparatus scrambles to pick up the pieces. As I predicted here, the flip has turned into a fiasco. Griffith's error was to think of himself as the second coming of George Wallace. I believe that I actually watched the strange transformation of Griffith before my very eyes at that town hall in August, and I have to say I almost...almost feel sorry for him.

And what lessons can we take from Griffith's short and mostly profitless career? That the Republican Party is terrified of its own creation. We have all seen this movie; it's the one in which the brilliant scientist attempts to create life -- and cannot see the monster he has unleashed until it is too late.

It'll be interesting to see if Griffith gets craphammered, and there is actually a challenger to Shelby now.  Things could get real interesting.  Matt's right about the Sunday shows...not even the Village can play the bipartisan card on this one.