In a move that I hope that Senator Joe Manchin notices, Missouri State Representative Linda Black announced this week that she was switching her party affiliation to the Republicans. The GOP had already won a record 117 seats out of 163 , and Rep. Black pushes that record even higher, to over 72% of the body. Kevin R. Jenkins of The Daily Journal Online reports: District 117 State Representative Linda Black of Desloge dropped a bombshell at the state capitol Wednesday when she announced at a news conference that she is switching to the Republican Party after an election in which the GOP built upon its already large majorities. Black was unopposed when she was re-elected Tuesday to a fourth and final term in the Missouri House. Like Senator Manchin, Rep. Black found herself in a party that had moved away from the principles she held: "It's been a joke around the capitol with Republicans for quite a while that I needed to go ahead and join their party...(Read Full Post)