Well, I am from Griffiths district and know more about him then I care to know. His medical license to practice in Huntsville was revoked. Something about unethical business dealings, etc. Owns many funural homes. Over radiated his patients. Supposedly benefitted from their illness AND death. But nothing sticks to him. A local radio host went after him really hard (
http://www.wvnn.com/dale.php to learn more). But the republican challenger was a joke. The congressman that he replaced retired early... on purpose to force a mid term election. These mid-term elections have notoriously low voter rates. It was all set up from the get go. Since Health Care, he has been beat up over and over. Our district is amazingly conservative and has only remained in democrat hands out of tradition. That is changing and he knows it. Mo Brooks (great guy) announced his intention to run against him and Griffith saw the writing on the wall. So he switched.
He potentially is more conservative than a blue dog democrat. But his character seems to make him a narrow, unreliable conservative... just someone who wants to be in power. He lost the mayoral race here 4 years ago, won a mid-term election to state house, and then leaped to Congress in a mid-term bid (Bud Cramer retired, but knew who he wanted to replace him). Like I said, it was choreographed. Now that he is where he is, we will see if he can make it on his own.
Mike