Another Dem Sees the Light

There's been another defection from the Dem ranks, this time a prominent Georgian:

One of the top Democrats in the Georgia House of Representatives switched sides last week.

State Rep. Greg Morris joined the GOP, giving Republicans 100 seats in the legislature.

"On major issues that are important to me and the people I represent, I'm out of step with the Democratic Party," said Mr. Morris, from the southern Georgia city of Vidalia, best known for its sweet-onion crop.

Last year, Republicans gained control of the state House for the first time since Reconstruction, after winning the state Senate and the governor's office in 2002. With the addition of Mr. Morris, Republicans now have a 20-seat edge in the 180-member state House.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Mr. Morris "had been [Democratic] Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor's de facto floor leader in the House and allowed to sit in on closed-door meetings of the Senate leadership when Democrats controlled that chamber."

Notice how these switches are almost always Dem to GOP? The last major GOP defection was Jumpin' Jim Jeffords, and even he didn't want to become a Dem. He went the independent route to obscurity.