RNC's Steele On Party Switcher: "This Is Self Preservation In The First Order"

When a member of Congress announced he was switching parties, RNC Chairman Michael Steele offered scathing criticisms.

According to the Chicago Tribune's The Swamp blog:

"Political expediency and self preservation is the order of the day and this is what we're seeing,'' Steele said. "That's fine, that's absolutely fine, but don't sit there with the sanctimonious, high-minded, 'Oh, I found religion..."

"I'm not buying that,'' he said. "This is self preservation in the first order it's a cold crass political calculation."

No, Steele wasn't talking about Rep. Parker Griffith, but he just as easily could have been.  Of course, Steele was referring to Sen. Arlen Specter just after he announced he would become a Democrat. 

Unlike Sen. Specter, who was a moderate, senior Member who often voted with Republicans on the most pressing issues of the day, Rep. Griffith is a freshman who has voted against the Democrats on almost every major legislative push.

His absence will not hurt Democrats in Congress. I'm not sure they'll even notice.