Washington Extra – (Blue) dog days
In the immortal words of Jonathan Swift (paraphrasing Erasmus and Hamlet) “Every dog must have his day.”
According to our correspondent Andy Sullivan, Blue Dog Democrats may have had theirs already. His report from Vermillion, South Dakota suggests the Blue Dogs may be a dying breed, their centrist brand of conservatism in danger of being swept away by the Republican tide in the midterms.
The original Dogs were actually yellow, of course, from a Southern nickname for party loyalists who would vote for a yellow dog if it were on the ballot as a Democrat. The Blue Dog Coalition took its name from the view that members’ moderate-to-conservative ideas had been “choked blue” by the party in the run-up to the 1994 election. (Suggestions for alternative color schemes gratefully received at the Democratic National Committee.)
Centrist Republicans have also been under pressure from the rise of the Tea Party. While that will likely make the next Congress more fiscally conservative, it will not necessarily translate into a bipartisan deal to reduce the budget deficit, former Congressional Budget Office director Rudolph Penner warned today.
“A real problem here is that the Tea Party is going to scare the bejeebers out of any Republican that is talking about compromise, for fear of what will happen in the next primary,” Penner told a Chamber of Commerce forum. “There is no way we’re going to get out of this problem without a compromise between the two parties.”
Here are our top stories from Washington today…
Are “Blue Dogs” a dying breed in U.S. elections?
from Summit Notebook:
If Democrats hold US House, Pelosi seen concentrating power-lobbyist
If Democrats are able to hang on to the U.S. House of Representatives in the November 2 elections, Speaker Nancy Pelosi will likely be able to concentrate her power because there will be fewer conservative Democrats giving her a hard time on critical votes, according to top senior lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Political prognosticators have said that Republicans are within striking distance of taking control of the House in November, with Republicans needing a net gain of 40 seats and polls showing them closing in on that target.
"She'll have a much more cohesive conference than she has now because it's the middle that's anticipated to get cratered in this election," Bruce Josten told the Reuters Washington Summit. "Most of the seat losses anticipated come from the people that are the hardest votes to get on party-line unity votes."
Pelosi has had a tough time over the last few years holding onto votes from conservative Democrats, like the Blue Dog Democrats who have lobbied hard to ensure most legislation does not add to the bloated federal deficit.
"She'll have a lot less negotiating to have to do, she'll have a stronger more cohesive conference, oddly enough, than what she has had," Josten said, adding a cautionary note that "she'll have less margin ... but literally most of the members of the Progressive Caucus are in safe districts."
Many of the Blue Dog Democrats have decided against running for re-election or are facing tough bids to return to Washington.
Josten also said that if Republicans are able to win control of the House, predictions that they will be able to significantly alter the health care law that was passed earlier this year are probably overblown.
After much delay, Baucus unveils healthcare plan
After weeks of delay as he negotiated for Republican support, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus Wednesday unveiled a 10-year, $856 billion plan to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system.
The measure still has no promise of Republican support, even though Baucus dumped the public insurance option favored by most Democrats and agreed to other Republican changes in hopes of producing a bipartisan plan.
Baucus predicted it would ultimately garner Republican votes.
“This is a good bill. This is a balanced bill. It can pass the Senate,” he said.
“It is fiscally responsible,” he added. “It reduces the deficit in 10 years. And it controls healthcare spending in the long run.”
Early reaction was not great. HuffingtonPost.com headlined it “Baucus Bill Bust” because of the lack of Republican support. Consumer Watchdog charged it would force middle class families to pay 20 percent of their incomes on healthcare.
Julius Hobson, a policy adviser at the Bryan Cave law firm, noted it “not only lacks Republican support but it is not clear if it even has ‘full’ Democratic support.”
W Spring,you hit the nail on the head all the bills and mountain of paper have not been able to tie down what is the problem,and you did with two words WELL REGULATED,that,s it! the vast majority the American people know that with the government that is a total IMPOSSIBILITY.
Blue Dogs howling at healthcare
This time it’s the Blue Dogs turning their noses up at healthcare reform proposals.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee canceled its healthcare markup because the fiscally conservative Democrats growled about the steep pricetag.
President Barack Obama, top dog in this town, invited them to the White House to chew about it.
But first, he went to the Rose Garden and layed out his arguments before reporters and TV cameras, harkening back to his campaign pledge of change.
“We can choose action over inaction. We can choose progress over the politics of the moment,” Obama said.
What happened behind closed doors. Who rolled over? Who got the bone? Who tore up the room?
We hear that the tendency is for the Blue Dogs to air their grievances, then fragment with many following leadership.
HSR. Nothing you say will in any way change what Americans know about the current health care reform effort, it stinks. The president is not being truthful with the American people about the true cost of the effort and he is not being forthright when it comes to the eventual rationing of healthcare. He uses the word “efficiency” as a cover.
It is obvious you are a paid pumper for this health care scheme.
