Once a strong supporter of moving our country forward, Alabama's former Rep. Artur Davis switched parties after meeting with defeat in his run for governor and is now joining the GOP in launching unfounded attacks against President Obama at the Republican National Convention.

But his former colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus remember Davis before his political switch, and have come to the conclusion that Davis' decision to switch political parties was a "result of a nakedly personal and political calculation or simmering anguish after failing to secure the Democratic nomination for governor of the State of Alabama in 2010." In a letter to Davis, they remind him—and Americans—of the facts about his record:

[L]ess than two years ago, you routinely touted your progressive record as a member of the House of Representatives. You supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Wall Street reform bill, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and ending tax subsidies for oil companies. Despite voting against the final bill, you even supported major pillars of the Affordable Care Act like banning discrimination against pre-existing conditions, expanding Medicaid, and providing tax breaks to small businesses that provide health care, to name a few.

Contrary to your recent declarations, you hailed President Barack Obama as a “beacon of leadership,” touted President Obama as your “model,” and widely described the President as a friend. As a member of the House of Representatives, you supported President Obama’s agenda 95% of the time, were quoted saying “I agree with him on everything,” and repeatedly invoked President Obama in your failed gubernatorial campaign.

It is important that the American people have these important facts and draw their own conclusions about your true motivations for speaking at the Republican National Convention. We have come to the disturbing conclusion that your recent public statements have no basis in real policy or political disagreements, but rather they stem from transparent opportunism and a personal determination to overcome failing to win the Alabama Democratic primary for Governor in 2010. We regret that you have chosen this course, but are confident that the American people see your pronouncements for what they are and come to the same disappointing conclusion of your former colleagues.

Read the full letter here.

The Republican National Convention gets underway for real today. Over the next three days, Republican lawmakers and party leaders from across the country will rally around the Romney-Ryan ticket in an effort to redefine Mitt Romney for the American public.

The convention will start with a look at Mitt Romney's record in business. It's likely to leave out a number of key details:

Republican governor Chris Christie will headline tonight. Like Romney, he's led an economic "rebound" that has seen his state fall to 47th out of 50 in economic growth.

Republicans will also vote on a party platform that includes a plan to turn Medicare into a voucher program and calls for outlawing abortion, even in the case of rape.

The next three days are likely to be as stark an illustration as you’ll see of the differences between President Obama and Mitt Romney, the parties they lead and the vision they have for our country.

Follow @Truthteam2012 to get the facts behind what the speakers are saying. @BarackObama and @Obama2012 will keep you informed about the key moments. And follow @TheDemocrats for live updates and interviews from the ground.

Mitt Romney's record as a corporate buyout specialist left workers without jobs, companies bankrupt, and Americans jobs shipped overseas. Watch the Democratic National Committee's review of what Romney's record meant for American workers, and then share this video with your friends.

Mitt Romney claims his experience as a corporate buyout specialist is the reason Americans should elect him: "I know how business works. I know why jobs come and why they go." But in reality, Romney Economics meant buying out companies, loading them with debt, and sending several into bankruptcy—all while Romney and his partners made millions. Here’s what you need to know about Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital:

• Job loss: Thousands of middle-class workers were laid off by companies that Romney's firm invested in and controlled. Click here to read the story of Dade Behring, a medical supplies company that Bain loaded with debt. It went into bankruptcy and nearly 3,000 workers lost their jobs—but Romney and his partners made more than $250 million in profit. And it was the same story with American Pad and Paper, which lost 1,500 jobs while Bain made $100 million.

• Bankruptcies: Under Romney, “Bain structured deals so that it was difficult for the firm and its executives to ever really lose,” even if companies took on more and more debt and eventually went bankrupt. Romney and his investors made $400 million from four companies that went bankrupt after taking on debt “to repay Bain investors or to carry out a Bain-led acquisition strategy.” Click here to read the story of one company, GST Steel, that was forced to go bankrupt and lay off 750 workers while Romney and his investors collected $12 million in profits. Stage Stores saw a similar fate, to the tune of 5,794 jobs lost amid $170 million in Bain profits.

• Outsourcing: Bain Capital invested heavily in firms that “grew into some of the largest outsourcing and offshoring companies in the world,” making millions off companies that were “pioneers in the practice of shipping work from the United States to overseas call centers and factories” in countries including China and India. Take a look at this map to see where in the world Romney has outsourced and offshored.

Mitt Romney's experience at Bain Capital was never about creating jobs; it was about making profits for wealthy investors. Those aren't the values we need in the White House.