Posted on 08/09/2007 7:10:51 PM PDT by neverdem
For the first time during 110th Congress, the Blue Dog Coalition — a 47-member grouping of self-described moderate and conservative Democrats — defied House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership on a critical national security issue: Saturday night's vote on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), where 41 dissident Democrats, nearly all of them Blue Dogs, provided the margin of victory for President Bush on the issue of terrorist surveillance. Thanks to the Blue Dogs, the administration's commonsense proposal to clarify that FISA permits U.S. intelligence agencies to monitor telephone calls made by foreign terrorist suspects outside the United States without first obtaining a warrant was approved by a 227-183 margin.
The key question now is whether Mr. Bush's success on FISA might be an indicator of what is to come next month when Gen. David Petraeus delivers his much-awaited progress report on the situation in Iraq — specifically, whether a significant minority of Democrats could be persuaded to join with Republicans to give the troop "surge" in Iraq a chance to secure enduring, long-term gains: a process that will...
--snip--
But the political calculus on Iraq is very different. Many Democrats have concluded (nonsensically in our view) that Iraq is not really part of a larger war against Islamist terror. Last week, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, a Democrat from South Carolina, let the cat out of the bag, expressing concern that if Gen. Petraeus delivers a strongly positive report on Iraq next month, it could split the Democratic Caucus between antiwar leadership loyalists and the Blue Dogs who would support the Bush administration. Mr. Clyburn also was concerned that a positive report would give the military more time for progress in Iraq. Were that to occur, "then it would be a real problem for us," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
What? The Blue Dogs not playing dead as usual?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Trouble in paradise! Pelosi loses vote! What leadership!!!
Some of them might jump ship.
Blue Dogs are the common sense arm of the DemoRATS Party.
ping
OOPS. Probably wishes he didn't say that out loud.
That is really twisted.
You mean, run next election as a republican?
You mean, run next election as a republican?
It’s been known to happen.
Blue Dog Coalition = 47 democrats (about 20%) who are not de facto allies of al Queda.
Most of these guys were put in as a revolt against the incubent party and are centrist in nature if not right leaning on many issues. The Dimwits from day one have hung to the tactic that the war effort fails and we win the WhiteHouse... you better bet your sweet bippy that a good news report shatters the party with great divide.
GrrrrrrRuffRuffRuff 
Louisiana artist George Rodrigue creator of the Blue Dog.
.
I hope so. Mine is a joke but keeps getting re-elected even though the district votes Rep. every election. He is strong with the farmers in the NE of the district. He gets the pork too.
We are working on him though!
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