So, this is hardly a surprise. In this economy, everybody’s trying to keep their jobs. Even guys like Parker Griffith.

POLITICO has learned that Rep. Parker Griffith, a freshman Democrat from Alabama, will announce today that he’s switching parties to become a Republican.

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

Griffith’s party switch comes on the eve of a pivotal congressional health care vote and will send a jolt through a Democratic House Caucus that has already been unnerved 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.

The switch represents a coup for the House Republican leadership, which had been courting Griffith since he publicly criticized the Democratic leadership in the wake of raucous town halls during the summer.

While the timing of his announcement was unexpected, Griffith’s party switch will not come as a surprise to those familiar with his voting record, which is one of the most conservative among Democrats.

He has bucked the Democratic leadership on nearly all of its major domestic initiatives, including the stimulus package, health care legislation, the cap-and trade energy bill and financial regulatory reform.

He was one of only 11 House Democrats to vote against the stimulus.

Signs of Griffith’s dissatisfaction with his party began to surface publicly during the summer recess, when he received an earful of criticism from constituents.

After the November off-year elections, he told POLITICO that he wanted to be called an independent Blue Dog and not a Democrat. He said the point of the elections was clear: “I should be nervous.” 

At some point, Parker Griffith will stand up with orange-faced Oompah Loompah John Boehner and get a big ol’ slap on the back for the “courage” to change parties.

The same slap on the back Arlen Specter got when he saw the writing on the wall, and switched parties to keep his clout… Griffith did what I’m sure a handful of conservative “democrats” are considering… changing their “D” to an “R” so they don’t have to change their “Employed” to “Unemployed” in 2010.

Let’s face it: In certain districts, the “mandate” was more about being sick of Bush/Cheney than it was enthusiasm for Obama. And in these states, these democrat representatives are only democrats because they were slightly to the left of the guy who was really to the right.

And in 2010, that’s probably not going to be enough. Disillusioned progressives will more than likely stay home. And annoyed tea partiers will be screaming their heads off and filling their trucks and mini-vans with like minded people wearing stupid hats and dressed like it’s 1776.

So guys like Griffith have one of three choices:

* Appeal to their voters that they are a moderating voice within the Democratic party with no proof they were able to do that.
* Retire, and be irrelevant.
* Switch parties, and suddenly become the prettiest girl at the prom.

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