Free Republic

This month, Congressmen across America will be engaging in “town hall” meetings with their constituents. The most nervous Congressmen are the 52 members of the “Blue Dog” caucus, who will have to answer some tough questions on where they stand on Nancy Pelosi’s plan for the government to control health care, raise our taxes, increase spending, and put America further in debt...

Democracy can be a dangerous thing … for incumbents who pass bad policy, or even attempt to defend it. Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit and Doug Ross have the latest evidence of this, a town-hall meeting on ObamaCare in Ohio’s 1st CD, represented by Democrat Steve Dreihaus. In this case, Dreihaus has even more to explain after winning his seat on a claim of fiscal conservatism, as Dreihaus also voted for cap-and-trade, which will make Ohio’s coal industry vanish along with hiking energy costs on his constituents. Yesterday, though, ObamaCare made them angry enough:

Libertarians decry Blue Dog deal on government-controlled health careRevised bill is ‘delayed-onset government control’ WASHINGTON -- America’s third largest party Tuesday criticized Blue Dog Democrat Caucus leaders for finalizing a deal with party leadership on a September vote on the proposed health care reform bill before heading back to their districts to meet with constituents. The compromise claims to remove some costs, reduce the employer mandate requirements to provide health care to employees and change the so-called “public option” in the initial draft of the bill in exchange for an agreement to hold a vote when Congress reconvenes in September....

Just got off the phone with Congressman Jim Cooper's scheduling secretary and tried to get ONE place where the congressman would appear during the august recess. I was very polite and gave no indication that I was for or against anything up for vote. She hemmed and hawed and said that the dates weren't set yet and that he had received many requests from private groups like Rotary Clubs, etc to speak and would not commit to ANY date or location. She did agree to send me a request to speak form. I think I'll send it to the local...

During the 1980s, when conservative Democrats from the South and West united with Republicans in the House of Representatives to form a coalition adequate to pass most of President Reagan's agenda, the term "Blue Dog Democrats" was applied to these congressmen. There were a few liberal Republicans from the North, called "Gypsy Moths," who sometimes sided with the majority Democrats against Reagan, but this was a much smaller group. A majority of the members of the House of Representatives today come from congressional districts which are conservative. This is in perfect accord with the latest Battleground Poll data, which seems...

Since Speaker Pelosi took the helm of Congress, Rep. Taylor’s Blue Dog Caucus has insisted that any government spending is fine as long as it is “paid for” with new tax increases

Just got word in that the Democrats seem to have overcome their so-called Blue Dog problem at least long enough to vote down any chance of stripping the “public option” from the Democrat sponsored Obamacare version of healthcare “reform” currently roiling the House of Reps. U.S. Rep. Doctor Mike Burgess (R, Texas) tried to introduce an amendment that would strip the House bill of the public option. Burgess worries about the regressive price controls and rationing as well as the pressure that the public option would put on the medical and insurance industries that would, in the end, force millions...

I am gratified that an awakened public has sent Congress an unequivocal message not to socialize our health care system, but note that this war is just beginning. Gen. Barack Obama is not the slightest bit deterred by the public's negative reaction, because he knows more than they do about what's best for them. As we go forward, it's imperative we recognize that the current hiccup in Obama's momentum is a result of so-called Blue Dog Democrats' refusing to go along with his plan -- and this, largely because their constituents are raining down "tea party" speed bumps on their...

“Blue Dog Democrats” -- a formal group of 52 House members -- premise their campaigns on the idea that they are moderate or conservative and are independent of the liberal leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md). But are they?

Just in....compromise, but no vote.

Reminiscent of the fall of Rome Congressional seats may soon be harder to give away rather than raising a fortune to gain. In fairness it would be hard to prove the congress has a clue but the real question is what are they going to do now that the rest of America is starting to get a clue? The clues are starting to come in at an alarming rate because many Americans are sitting down and actually reading the bills the congress doesn’t seem to have time to study. The stimulus, healthcare, and hate crimes read like a cross between...

Two easy ways to keep the pressure on, and encourage, the Blue Dogs. 1. Use the AMA's own dime and a constituent zip code to directly call a Blue Dog office. Simply call (800) 833-6354. This is the AMA's own automated grass roots hot line system. It will ask for a zip code, and then via a menu it will automatically directly dial that representative's or senator's office so you can protest the health care bill and encourage that Blue Dog. Also, the caller area code is likely an 800 number to the recipient. 2. Use a constituent zip code...

One afternoon’s health care dramaPosted on 18 July 2009 By John Brummett How hard is health care reform? Let’s tell a brief story, capturing but a snapshot. It’s Thursday afternoon. U.S. Rep. Mike Ross of Prescott, suddenly a big Blue Dog in Washington this week, returns a call. He’s recently come from the House floor where there was some procedural vote. He says it’s become apparent that it’s not only the centrist and fiscally conservative Blue Dogs who, among congressional Democrats, resist the House health care reform bill. He won’t provide names, but says “progressive member after progressive member” —...

Blue Dog: 'No way' House bill could passBy PATRICK O'CONNOR | 7/16/09 2:46 PM EDT Arkansas Rep. Mike Ross, a key negotiator on health care for moderate Blue Dog Democrats, has warned that "there's no way they can pass the current bill on the House floor. Not even close." Ross doesn't believe the bill unveiled Tuesday comes close to curtailing the ever-escalating costs of health care spending, particularly for Medicare. The conservative Arkansas Democrat also objects to the surtaxes included in the bill, saying, "I don't like the idea of raising taxes in the worst economic crisis since World War...

Arkansas blue dogs: No timetable for health care reform legislationBy John Lyon / Arkansas News Bureau Thursday, July 16, 2009 12:22 PM CDT LITTLE ROCK — Two members of Arkansas’ congressional delegation who helped put the breaks on legislation to reform the nation’s health care system said Friday they don’t believe the reform effort should follow a timetable. U.S. Reps. Mike Ross, D-Prescott, and Marion Berry, D-Gillett, were among 40 members of the Blue Dog Coalition of centrist Democrats who wrote to Democrat Party leaders Thursday demanding changes in health care legislation the leadership was drafting. Party leaders had said...

July 10, 2009 Dear Mrs. Dunavant: Thank you for contacting me about climate change. As Central Kentucky's advocate in Washington, D.C., your views are extremely important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share them. I voted for the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, a comprehensive piece of legislation that creates clean jobs, moves us away from our dependence on foreign oil, tackles pollution, and transforms our economy to face the new challenges of the 21st century. Supporting this bill was not an easy decision. I struggled with this legislation, and I recognize the...

Barack Obama's pledges in peril as Blue Dogs take a bite at budget Tom Baldwin in Washington President Obama was huddled in talks yesterday with congressional Democrats over proposals that would pare his $3.6 trillion budget, raising question marks over how he would fund promises on healthcare, climate change and tax cuts. Although the President was braced for ferocious opposition from Republicans, who warn that his spending plans will bankrupt America, he also faces growing hostility from a group of fiscally conservative Democrats alarmed by forecasts of a $9.3 trillion (£6.3 trillion) deficit over ten years. Kent Conrad, chairman of...

Former professional football player and Blue Dog Democrat Heath Shuler is at the top of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “enemies list,’’ according to Politico. Why? Shuler, D-N.C., has staked out a leadership position as a fiscal conservative who doesn’t ride with the pack on issues like the massive stimulus package, which he and five other conservative “Blue Dog” Democrats voted against. Shuler’s name tops a list of 10 alleged enemies of the speaker. ... Shuler, a second-term member, is clearly being noticed among Pelosi’s allies as a potential problem. He opposed Democratic leaders when he was a freshman, including on...

Dem blasts Obama's budgetPosted: 06:29 PM ET February 26, 2009 From CNN Congressional Producer Deirdre Walsh (CNN) – Mississippi Democratic Rep. Gene Taylor blasted the budget outline President Obama submitted to Capitol Hill today, saying “I don’t like it…change is not running up even bigger deficits that George Bush did.” “That’s what George Bush did very well. Apparently that’s what President Obama is doing.” Taylor, a conservative “blue dog” who voted against the stimulus bill, noted he was still reviewing the plan but was troubled by the additional amount of spending for many government programs on top of the recent...

Thank you for contacting me about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. President Obama gets high marks for trying to bring change to Washington, but Congress isn't living up to its end of the bargain. In the face of millions of lost jobs and an economy that continues to shut down, the House passed a bill loaded with pet projects that won't provide the jobs Americans need. Let me be clear: our economy needs immediate stimulus. That's why I called for Congress to pass President Obama's plan to cut regressive payroll taxes, invest in the nation's infrastructure and extend social...