So, what are all of you doing concerning this?
Do we purge the Blue Dogs and Dino's? Who are they?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Dog_Coalition#List_of_Blue_Dog_Coalition_members">Blue Dog CoalitionBlue Dog Democrats are a group of 48 moderate and conservative
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Dog_Coalition">Blue Dog Coalition MembersList of Blue Dog Coalition members
* Mike Arcuri (New York)
* Joe Baca (California)
* John Barrow (Georgia)
* Melissa Bean (Illinois)
* Marion Berry (Arkansas)
* Sanford Bishop (Georgia)
* Dan Boren (Oklahoma)
* Leonard Boswell (Iowa)
* Allen Boyd (Florida), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration
* Dennis Cardoza (California)
* Christopher Carney (Pennsylvania)
* Ben Chandler (Kentucky)
* Jim Cooper (Tennessee)
* Jim Costa (California)
* Bud Cramer (Alabama)
* Lincoln Davis (Tennessee)
* Joe Donnelly (Indiana)
* Brad Ellsworth (Indiana)
* Gabrielle Giffords (Arizona)
* Kirsten Gillibrand (New York)
* Bart Gordon (Tennessee)
* Jane Harman (California)
* Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (South Dakota), Blue Dog Whip
* Baron Hill (Indiana)
* Tim Holden (Pennsylvania)
* Steve Israel (New York)
* Nick Lampson (Texas)
* Tim Mahoney (Florida)
* Jim Marshall (Georgia)
* Jim Matheson (Utah)
* Mike McIntyre (North Carolina)
* Charlie Melancon (Louisiana)
* Mike Michaud (Maine)
* Dennis Moore (Kansas), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy
* Patrick Murphy (Pennsylvania)
* Collin Peterson (Minnesota)
* Earl Pomeroy (North Dakota)
* Mike Ross (Arkansas), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications
* John Salazar (Colorado)
* Loretta Sanchez (California)
* Adam Schiff (California)
* David Scott (Georgia)
* Heath Shuler (North Carolina)
* Zack Space (Ohio)
* John Tanner (Tennessee)
* Gene Taylor (Mississippi)
* Mike Thompson (California)
* Charlie Wilson (Ohio)
Former members of Congress who were once prominent Blue Dog Coalition members include:
* Brad Carson (Oklahoma)
* Gary Condit (California)
* Harold Ford Jr. (Tennessee)
* Ralph Hall (Texas) (became a Republican and is still a member of the House)
* Bill Lipinski (Illinois)
* Ken Lucas (Kentucky)
* David Minge (Minnesota)
* Max Sandlin (Texas)
* Charlie Stenholm (Texas)
* Billy Tauzin (Louisiana) (later became a Republican and served until 2005)
* Jim Turner (Texas)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Dog_Coalition#Differences_between_the_Blue_Dogs_and_liberal_Democrats">Differences between the Blue Dogs and liberal Democrats
In 2005, the members of the Blue Dog Coalition voted 32 to 4 in favor of the bill to limit access to bankruptcy protection (S 256). Congressman Collin Peterson was subjected to a heated round of questioning from colleagues in the Democratic Party over several votes where he strayed from the party line before being nominated as the ranking member on the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, in what would otherwise have been a routine nomination.On the other hand, some prominent Blue Dogs have also received strong support from liberal activists within the party, most notably Brad Carson of Oklahoma in his unsuccessful 2004 run for the U.S. Senate, John Tanner of Tennessee (whose Republican opponent in 2004, James L. Hart, was a eugenics advocate denounced by his own party
), Jim Matheson of Utah, and Loretta Sanchez of California in her successful bid to unseat former Congressman Bob Dornan. Online fundraising efforts by liberal weblogs in 2004 named Carson's campaign a top national priority. In some cases this support for Blue Dogs came about because the Republican opponent (former Representative, now Senator Tom Coburn) was seen as holding strong right-wing views; in other cases the support is because in some states like Tennessee, Oklahoma, the Dakotas, and Utah, a conservative Democrat is seen as the only kind of Democrat who can be viable at the polls. Some progressive activists also view the Blue Dogs as an important part of a Democratic Party big tent coalition, which will give the party important credibility with rural voters and social conservatives, while viewing the Blue Dogs as perhaps easier to swing to the left on fiscal and trade issues than the DLC.
Others in the party's liberal wing disagree, and have promoted the idea of running future primary challenges against both Blue Dog Coalition and DLC members in an effort to unseat Democratic Party members they view as unreliable or too conservative. The editors of the left-wing weblog OpenLeft have christened the Blue Dog Democrats as "Bush Dogs" and have begun a campaign to identify Bush Dogs (so defined as those Democrats who voted for war funding in May 2007<2> and voted to grant President George W. Bush warrantless wiretapping powers<3>) and evaluate whether a primary challenge is feasible. <4><5>
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Dog_Coalition#Differences_between_the_Blue_Dogs_and_liberal_Democrats">Differences between the Blue Dogs and the Democratic Leadership Council
The differences between the Blue Dogs and the other prominent coalition of moderate Democrats, the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), are sometimes subtle. The DLC describes itself as new Democrat while taking moderate or liberal positions on social issues and moderate positions on economic issues and trade. The DLC views the support of free trade as a traditionally liberal position, and similarly frames their support of an aggressive national defense as historically a Democratic Party position. The two emphasize different goals; the DLC aims to revitalize and strengthen the Democratic party, while the Blue Dogs prefer to emphasize bipartisanship.
Democrats who identify with the Blue Dogs tend to be conservatives, but have more divergent positions on social issues than the DLC. Reflecting the group's Southern roots, many are strong supporters of gun rights and get high ratings from the National Rifle Association, some have pro-life voting records, and some get high ratings from immigration reduction groups. As a caucus, however, the group has never agreed on or taken a position on these issues, and many members favor more socially liberal positions.
On economic issues, Blue Dogs tend to be pro-business and favor limiting public welfare spending, arguing instead for "individual responsibility". They have supported welfare reform, for example, as well as the Republican-backed Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2005. They do, however, have differing positions on trade issues, including some supporters of labor unions, protectionism, and other populist measures, while the DLC tends to favor free trade.
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http://berkley.house.gov/GovInfo/FAQ.html#How%20often%20are%20Representatives%20and%20Senators%20up%20for%20re-election">FAQs About Congress
* How many members of Congress are there?
* What is the current split between Republicans and Democrats in Congress?
* How often do Members of Congress switch parties?
* How often are Representatives and Senators up for re-election?
* How many people do Congressmen/women and Senators represent?
* What's the biggest difference between the House and the Senate in how they operate?
* How much do Representatives and Senators get paid?
* How much do they get to spend on expenses?
* What is the demographic breakdown of Congress? Isn't it full of attorneys?
* How does a bill become a law?
* Whenever I turn on C-SPAN, it doesn't look like anyone is there? Why?
* Does it make any difference if I email, write, or call Congresswoman Berkley?
* Why does Congress use a Committee System?
* What committees does Rep. Berkley sit on?
* How many bills are introduced every year?
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We had better start focusing on this asap!! The bush lovers need to go.... home!