Has State Senator Hinton Mitchem seen the coming tide in 2010?

UPDATE: 5:11PM – From a confidential source… Sen. Mitchem is not being courted or recruited by the ALGOP.

Is Sen. Mitchem, a Democrat representing the 9th District (Blount, Madison, Marshall) switching parties?

More info:

Doc’s

Will he actually switch? Conflicting rumors abound. Some have indicated he will retire, others that he will switch parties, and still others that he will run again as a Democrat. He may not know himself. But at the least we know that he has talked to a county Republican official about the possibility of switching.

Flashpoint

Count me among those who don’t think this is a wise move for the GOP.  The AL GOP has made the culture of ethically challenged, long time Democrats in Montgomery the foundation of their 2010 plans.

As a conservative, I say, “no thanks”.

He had his chance to switch before, most notably when the “conservatives” were trying to take over the State Senate and he and Parker Griffith sided with the Democrats.

The eight-term Senator was elected Senate President pro tempore at the start of the quadrennium in a deal brokered to keep the minority Republicans from organizing a majority caucus with so-called dissident Democrats. Two years later in February of this year, as a part of the deal, he stepped down as Senate President pro tem in favor of Rodger Smitherman (D – Birmingham).

If that is the knock being used against Griffith, then it should apply to Mitchem too.

But I don’t make the rules, the ALGOP does.

Here are a few reason why they ALGOP should tell Mitchem to “get lost” in the ALGOP own silly ads and words…

1. Ethical Issues
   
   
2. Taxes
   
3. Lobbyists
   
4. Double Dipping
   
   
5. Most hilariously - Alcohol (HE LOVES IT!)
   

The further question is,  if the ALGOP is so sure they are about to start kicking heads in at the ballot box in 2010 do they want opportunist party switchers in their midst?

Why not turn out the old guard problems in Montgomery and replace them with new blood?