Posted on 03/07/2005 4:06:07 AM PST by machman
City Councilor David Pfeffer, a Democrat who angered members of his party and delighted local Republicans by endorsing and campaigning for President Bush in last year’s election, will complete his break with his party today.
Pfeffer, who represents the northside District 1, said Thursday that he will change his party registration today at the Santa Fe County Courthouse .
“The Democratic Party used to be the party of the people, the party of minorities, the party of people like myself,” Pfeffer told a reporter. David Pfeffer City councilor says the Democratic Party used to be the party of the people, but he believes its message has become flawed.
“Last November when they lost the election, the Democrats said they didn’t get their message across,” he said. “They didn’t consider that maybe something’s wrong in their message .”
“I guess the straw that broke the camel’s back was Sen. (Robert) Byrd’s bringing up Nazism to describe Republicans in the Senate,” Pfeffer said, referring to a recent speech by the West Virginia Democrat about proposed Republican filibuster rules.
Pfeffer also said a speech by Sen. Ted Kennedy, DMass ., about Iraq shortly before the recent Iraqi elections helped push him over to the GOP. “He blamed American soldiers (for the) terrorist attacks.”
On a local level, Pfeffer said, the action of other city councilors helped him make his decision. “The nonpartisan City Council has become very partisan,” he said. “There’s all these resolutions, antiwar, (pro- )immigration, anti-homeland security,” he said.
In various votes on nonbinding resolutions in recent years concerning issues such as the U.S.A. Patriot Act and immigration laws, Pfeffer often has found himself in the minority, and often completely alone.
Pfeffer will put himself in a stark political minority in Santa Fe, where Democrats outnumber Republicans 3 to 1. Pfeffer said his switch will also make him the only GOP member on the council.
A spokesman for the state Democratic Party did not grieve the loss of Pfeffer. “He continues to be a controversial city councilor with a penchant for press attention,” Matt Farrauto said. “I’m not surprised. He’s been walking like a Republican, talking like a Republican and voting like a Republican. He might as well be a Republican.”
During the campaign, Pfeffer purchased a full-page ad in The New Mexican touting Bush and spoke at a Bush rally in Albuquerque. During the presidential debates, he appeared at local debatewatching parties to argue for Bush and against John Kerry in post-debate forums.
Farrauto noted Pfeffer didn’t register Republican during last year’s campaign, when the councilor was harshly criticizing Kerry and the Democratic Party.
“That would have ruined his whole PR shtick,” Farrauto said. “He rode it all the way to the inauguration.”
Pfeffer attended January’s inauguration of Bush with a delegation of state Republicans .
On election night, Pfeffer, who was attending a local Republican celebration, was asked whether he would switch parties. “That’s not on my front burner now,” he said in November.
Pfeffer said Thursday he hasn’t decided whether he’ll seek re-election to his council seat next year.
He also said he doesn’t know whether he’d seek election as a Republican for other positions.
He said he considers himself a political moderate.
“I’ve always voted for environmental issues — bike trails, protecting the watershed ,” he said.
“I disagree with Rush Limbaugh when he talks about ‘environmental wackos.’ There’s plenty of other wackos.”
At least with stuff like this happening, there may be hope....
Thank goodness he didn't wait for the Anti-American resolution before he made his decision to bolt!
Uh,.....Dem Dems just keep coming.....further to the _____:
Select Only one: (A) 'Right?',...(B)'Left?'...
/sarcasm
No room for moderates in the Dem party? My own state rep, who was a Dem, had to change to Rep. because he wouldn't endorse JFKerry. Local Dems were very angry at him.
This guy is a real American, it was only a matter of time. I bet he was impressed with the tsunami of support he got when he came out for GWB last year.
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