Before the recent decision by Representative Parker Griffith of Alabama to change his Congressional jersey, Mr. Forbes had been the last House member to abandon the majority for the minority. But back in 1999, Mr. Forbes, a three-term lawmaker, went the opposite direction of Mr. Griffith, sliding from the Republican column to the smaller Democratic side, saying his party had become too narrow and intolerant.“A lot of people at the time thought something was clearly wrong with me,” Mr. Forbes, now a lobbyist, said in an interview, recounting how he gave up a desirable slot on the Appropriations Committee. “On the political landscape, a lot of people just thought it was a dumb move.”
Not only did Mr. Forbes become the bane of Republicans overnight, but there were plenty of Democrats who did not want him either. Republicans, eager to discourage other potential defectors, ganged up on him in the Democratic primary in 2000. He lost by a handful of votes to a retired school librarian, who then lost the general election. |
