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Conservative Democrats seek larger role
Yahoo ^

Posted on 11/15/2006 1:14:21 PM PST by Sub-Driver

Conservative Democrats seek larger role

By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer 24 minutes ago

For a dozen years, the Democratic conservatives known as Blue Dogs have been baying at the moon, ignored by Republicans and tolerated by their more liberal Democratic colleagues. Now, these House lawmakers say that is about to change.

Republicans "did not lose their seats to liberal Democrats" in last weeks elections, said Rep. Mike Ross (news, bio, voting record), D-Ark. "Republicans lost their seats to Blue Dog Democrats."

"We'll have a lot to say about what passes and what doesn't" when the 110th Congress convenes in January with Democrats in control for the first time in 12 years, said Ross, new communications director for the caucus.

With the addition of nine newly elected freshmen, the Blue Dogs claim 44 members, nearly 20 percent of the incoming Democratic majority. They will be led by Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Fla., and include Rep. Collin Peterson (news, bio, voting record), D-Minn., in line to become the next Agriculture Committee chairman.

The Blue Dogs were formed in 1994 after Republicans swept the long-entrenched Democrats from power. They tend to be social conservatives on such issues as abortion. But their big issue is fiscal discipline — balancing the budget and reducing the federal debt.

Many in the group are from the South, and the group took its name from the old adage that southerners would vote for yellow dog if he were on the Democratic ballot. A blue dog, they decided, was a moderate or conservative "choked blue" by the Democrats in the years leading up to 1994.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: beholdentopelosi; fraud; phonies
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1 posted on 11/15/2006 1:14:23 PM PST by Sub-Driver
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To: Sub-Driver

LOL! They will vote the radical leftist pelosi line.


2 posted on 11/15/2006 1:16:25 PM PST by Dane ("Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" Ronald Reagan, 1987)
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To: Sub-Driver

There's always hope.


3 posted on 11/15/2006 1:16:43 PM PST by Dark Skies ("He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that" ... John Stuart Mill)
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To: Sub-Driver

Hate to say it Mike, but here's what'll happen to you:

Pelosi will push you in the closet;

Let you out when she needs your vote;

Instruct you on how to vote;

Remove you from your committee position if you do differently then she wants.

She's already doing that, i.e. Jane Harmon.


4 posted on 11/15/2006 1:16:48 PM PST by zbigreddogz
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To: Sub-Driver

This will go nowhere, dudes.

There is a party purge underway of any democrat to the left of Stalin by DailyKos, George Soros and MoveOn.Org.


5 posted on 11/15/2006 1:17:40 PM PST by FormerACLUmember
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To: Sub-Driver

"Even though I think it's total crap, I'll vote for it and pass it because that's what Nancy wants," Murtha told the Blue Dogs,


6 posted on 11/15/2006 1:18:03 PM PST by digger48 (there went breakfast)
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To: Sub-Driver
I'm sure Blue Dogs are offended everywhere.


7 posted on 11/15/2006 1:18:31 PM PST by TexasCajun
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To: Dane

Yep...back of the bus time for them. They got elected, have to vote for the leadership, and that's that.


8 posted on 11/15/2006 1:20:05 PM PST by Molly Pitcher (We are Americans...the sons and daughters of liberty...*.from FReeper the Real fifi*))
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To: Sub-Driver

9 posted on 11/15/2006 1:20:21 PM PST by InvisibleChurch (The default mode of the heart is set for Drift.)
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To: Sub-Driver

"We'll have a lot to say about what passes and what doesn't" when the 110th Congress convenes in January with Democrats in control for the first time in 12 years, said Ross, new communications director for the caucus.

...you'll say what Mama Pelosi tells you to say! Now go lie down, remove the circuitry from your head and let it rest. Then wait for further instructions.


10 posted on 11/15/2006 1:20:24 PM PST by albie
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To: Sub-Driver

If they want a larger role, and they are truly conservative, then there is a simple solution... Instead of voting for Nancy as Speaker, join with the GOP in voting for Pence.

The Dems don't have too many votes to spare. 6 crossovers would do it.

Now we'll see what these "conservative" Democrats are really made of.


11 posted on 11/15/2006 1:20:55 PM PST by Brilliant
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To: Sub-Driver
nearly 20 percent of the incoming Democratic majority.

I'm sure the more than 80% are quaking in their boots. It was easy to declare how pure and principled they were while the party was a minority. Let's see how things work when party loyalty comes first.

12 posted on 11/15/2006 1:21:23 PM PST by siunevada (If we learn nothing from history, what's the point of having one? - Peggy Hill)
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To: Sub-Driver
The LIB RATS dug the blue-dogs up to run so they could win.

They'll use them like they use the black voters...just when they need them - otherwise they don't count for anything.

We'll see how much moxie these blue-dogs have!! They could team up with the Pubs and give Pelosi fits!!

13 posted on 11/15/2006 1:22:29 PM PST by LADY J
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To: Sub-Driver

Rotsa Ruck.


14 posted on 11/15/2006 1:22:33 PM PST by SIDENET (Everybody was kung-fu fighting)
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To: Sub-Driver

I really do think they will team up the GOP and get some stuff passed, just as happened during Reagan's tenure.


15 posted on 11/15/2006 1:24:56 PM PST by AmericaUnited
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To: Sub-Driver
They tend to be social conservatives on such issues as abortion.

In the months before elections!

And they ensure that the party of "rum, sodomy and the lash" has
the chairmanships of committees!

(apologies to W. Churchill for hi-jacking his term for The Royal Navy)
16 posted on 11/15/2006 1:25:23 PM PST by VOA
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To: Sub-Driver

1. They can have one.
2. If they exist.
3. But first, they'll have to join the GOP.


17 posted on 11/15/2006 1:25:42 PM PST by BibChr ("...behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?" [Jer. 8:9])
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To: Dane

They're freshmen fer pete's sake. They either vote with the entrenched of radicals like Conyers and Rangel and Reid or they don't get no walkin' around money.

(I can't believe I'm agreeing with you! For once..)


18 posted on 11/15/2006 1:26:00 PM PST by OpusatFR ( ALEA IACTA EST. We have just crossed the Rubicon.)
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To: MplsSteve

Pinging you because our boy Collin Peterson is mentioned in the article.


19 posted on 11/15/2006 1:26:14 PM PST by lesser_satan (EKTHELTHIOR!!!)
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To: Sub-Driver

Nothing to see here folks. Here's how it works...The "Blue-Dogs" vote against certain items like raising taxes, illegal alien amnesty etc. Thier votes are recorded and thier constituency is impressed! "Golly! Heath did what I hoped he would do! Heath's my man!" Heath (Shuler as an example) comes back to NC a hero! "I tried folks, I really did"! "YEAH HEATH!!!" "AT LEAST YOU TRIED!" "VOTE FOR HEATH AGAIN...AND AGAIN!!!" In the meantime the lib agenda gets through on the backs of SF/NY/MASS libs that were expected to vote against America. Get it!?


20 posted on 11/15/2006 1:27:50 PM PST by albie
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