Evan Bayh Forming Conservative "Blue Dog" Caucus In Senate

[AllentownJake]

Source: Huffington Post

Bayh, who has spoken with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) about his initiative, said he is trying to create a faction of moderate Senators who will gather on a weekly basis ahead of the usual Tuesday Democratic Caucus meetings.

Additionally, Bayh envisions inviting outside speakers to address the group, which would also work in concert with third parties that have similar viewpoints, like the Third Way, a nonpartisan progressive think tank.

A Reid spokesman said the Majority Leader was similarly upbeat about the idea.

"Nearly a decade of Republican fiscal irresponsibility has contributed to our current economic crisis," Reid spokesman Jim Manley said in an e-mail statement. "That is why Sen. Reid welcomes Sen. Bayh's decision to form this group. For we know that Sen. Bayh, like all Democrats, is committed to restoring our nation's fiscal and economic health."



Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/14/evan-bayh-forming-conserv_n_150874.html

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Apples sometimes fall off the tree than roll down the hill. I wonder if Birch Bayh ever regrets helping his son get elected? Notice our friend Harry is "upbeat" about the idea.

[JI7]

1. forming ? hasn't it already been around ?

[AllentownJake]

2. Evidently DLC has been neutralized

so they are just going to reform with a new name.

[bulloney]

3. Since we're talking about dogs, isn't the correct term "neuterized?"

[leftchick]

5. 'Evidently DLC has been neutralized'??

how exactly? I see no evidence of that at all. It seems quite the opposite has happened. The Liberal/Progressive Democrats, few as there are, have no seat at the table, no input. ZERO.

[wyldwolf]

19. though the news may get "howls of protest" at DU...

... many DLC Dems don't quite get along with Blue Dogs. Rahm Emanuel, for example, has gone on the record as saying Blue Dogs are lazy and don't want to work.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

33. Agreed. As I tried to explain in my thread about the difference between

liberals and progressives, many DLCers have progressive tendencies, but they are not liberal. Hillary is a prime example of this. The Blue Dogs, however, are essentially DINO's. In fact, I don't understand why they haven't just defected to the Republican party. Many of these Blue Dogs are leftover Dixiecrats from the South, or from competitive states/districts in the Midwest where they are forced to be as conservative as possible in order to get elected and reelected.

YELLOW DOGS = Liberals = Feingold, Boxer
DLC = Moderates = Clinton, Salazar, Bill Nelson
BLUE DOGS = Conservatives = Bayh

On some major issues, the Blue Dogs have teamed with the DLCers to give the Bush administration almost everything it has asked for, while the Yellow Dogs are largely marginalized, considered in the M$M and even by many Democrats as the "fringe," "far left" wing if the party, even though the Yellow Dogs have been right on major issues like Iraq, Abu Grajib (sp?), and warned about the collapse of Wall Street years ago, even as the DLCer's help to deregulate the housing industry.

[LiberalFighter]

43. Bayh was DLC chair from 2001-2005

[wyldwolf]

45. yeah.. so?

[Kolesar]

4. Should form a "heartland auto parts producers caucus"

That's where the issues are and the votes are.

[boobooday]

6. Isn't that the default?

Evan Bayh, go away.

[riona]

7. I wish he was more like his dad

[Laura PourMeADrink]

8. thank god Obama didn't pick Bayh

[bertman]

17. My sentiments exactly, Laura. Boggles the mind to even imagine that Bayh was considered

as a running mate.

[LynneSin]

22. Yeah but can't we give him a job in the administration

and eliminate Bayh's lil pet project

[PVnRT]

48. I'd rather not let Daniels appoint a replacement

[mod mom]

50. I too am SO thankful! Luckily Obama activists around the country are staying

together in an attempt to move a progressive agenda. I'd like to see those blue dog fat cats mobilize for change. ;)

[Vinnie From Indy]

9. Quite simply, Evan Bayh is Indiana's LESSER Republican Senator.

eom

[santamargarita]

10. How many of these "Blue dogs" is going to get a shoe up their...

ass next month - I hope we've voted most of these pricks out of office.

[psychmommy]

11. i remember the blue dogs preening on cspan led by condit.

they disgusted me in the '90's and i am sure they'll disgust me now.

[TechBear_Seattle]

12. "Moderate" Democrats? "Moderate" compared to what?

I assume he means, "To the right of most other Democrats in the Senate." In other words, he is organizing the hard right, neo-conservative Democrats.

[Debi]

13. Great - just what Dems in the Senate need

to be divided :(

[Thrill]

14. Another pain in the ass for Obama

[RepublicanElephant]

15. hello joe lieberman! nt

[ClarkUSA]

16. Bill and Hillary are also "Third Way" or "New" Democrats, as the DLC like to imagine themselves.

Guess Hillary is going to miss out on joining her top primary surrogate's new club, which will gather the Senate wing of the DLC.

[wyldwolf]

20. the "Senate wing of the DLC" is called "The Senate New Democrat Coalition."

You don't have to like them.. but the DLC is already quite well represented in the Senate.

[Armstead]

18. I wonder who the "outside speakers" will be? Newt Gingrich, Alan Greenspan....

....Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Pearl, Sarah Palin...etc.

Just kidding (sorta)

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LynneSin]

23. First isn't this the DLC and Second if they do this can they work with moderate republicans?

That's the thing I would really like to see is help give some voting power to moderate republicans. Because when these judges come up for nomination we'll need Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins on our team.

We tend to forget that there are democrats of all shapes and sizes. I'd rather see the DLC go defunct and a blue dog group of moderate democrats and republicans form.

Finally, thank goodness Delaware appointed Ted Kauffman to replace Biden or else we'd have TWO senators in this new group (Carper is vice-chair of the DLC and John Carney, whom we thought was getting the pick, is a prodigy of Tom Carper).

[wyldwolf]

25. no, the DLC in the Senate are the Senate New Democrat Coalition

... there are some pretty major difference in the two - most notably on social issues (Blue Dogs are social conservative, New Democrats are social moderate to liberal)

For what it's worth, Chris Bowers did a "study" of the two groups as a whole based on voting trends in the Congress:

http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/4/23/152121/713
http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/4/28/122920/723

[Jennicut]

31. Thank You wyldwolf. I always thought the Blue Dogs were socially more conservative

Hillary is quite liberal on some social issues like abortion, that would not fit in to the Blue Dogs at all.

[mmonk]

32. Thanks for the links.

I'm working on a book.

[wyldwolf]

34. a book? Cool. Care to give a few details?

[mmonk]

35. It primarily surrounds the particular Democrats (primarily the Blue Dogs)

and votes concerning giving bush/Cheney their abusive powers through their less than stellar and unlawful rule. The general public, I think, should be informed in case they were trying to stop bush by voting for them.

[mmonk]

39. What would you say is the defining differences between

the Blue Dogs and the DLC? The DLC is more mainstream Democrat in my opinion where the Blue Dogs seem as loyal to Republican causes and policies as to Democrats. Would you agree to that assessment?

[wyldwolf]

44. some compare the Blue Dogs to the Dixiecrats

... not completely accurate but close. They share much of the same "family values" beliefs as Republicans - very conservative that way. They tend to be fiscal conservatives (don't believe in debt no way no how.)

DLCers (or true Third Wayers) are moderate to quite liberal on social issues. They tend to be fiscally responsible (would rather run surpluses but not adverse to deficits if the economic times call for it)

Both support strong militaries. DLCers tend to support free trade (a traditional Democratic policy) while Blue Dogs tend to be protectionists (traditionally Republican in nature.)

[mmonk]

47. Thanks for deeper details.

[Jennicut]

24. Blue Dogs are not DLC'rs, I thought they were more conservative

Especially with foreign policy. Also more conservative socially. Sam Nunn was maybe like a Blue Dog? Joe Loserman would fit in with the FP side though he is fairly moderate domestically/socially. Hillary is not nor ever been a "Blue Dog". She is a moderate Dem, not a conservative one. Per the National Journal, Hillary was ranked 12th out of 100 Senators as most liberal in 2007. The top five most liberal senators last year were Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., with a composite liberal score of 94.3; Joseph Biden, D-Del., with a 94.2; Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., with a 93.7; and Robert Menendez, D-N.J., with a 92.8. Obama was the most liberal. Now, these are scores based off of certain key votes, it may not reflect the person's true ideology but it does reflect that Hillary is not a Blue Dog!
http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/
By the way, I am glad Obama chose Biden over Bayh. He is way too conservative.

[Robbien]

27. The right wingers in the Dem party keep giving themselves new names

DLC/New Dems/Blue Dogs or whatever.

I just lump them all together and call them Bush Dogs. Capitalistic best friends of lobbyists. There may be minor differences between the groups, but the one overriding factor among them all is that they sure do like the color of the money they receive by being Bush Dogs.

[Jennicut]

28. There are major differences between the groups, it is not minor

Blue Dogs are socially/fiscally/militarily conservative. DLC'ers are moderate. The rest are liberal to ultra liberal. There is a difference. Now selling out to corporations, well any Senator can do that, from ultra liberal to the most conservative. Sometimes money is bigger then ideology.

I consider myself somewhere between liberal and moderate.

[Robbien]

36. Those differences may be major to you, but the differences all are on the right wing side

And anything to the left of right wing capitalistic/warmongering ideals is viewed by them to be, as you say, "liberal to ultra liberal". Liberal in Bush Dog terms is Center Right and Ultra Liberal in Bush Dog terms is just Centrist.

A Bush Dog would cut off his nose before claiming even a Center Left idea, and would rather be put six foot under before claiming any idea to the left of that.

[Jennicut]

37. Well, I was just trying to explain differences in pure ideology, they so exist

[Beacool]

49. You are correct, differences do exist.

It's just that around here too many don't see the middle ground, it's either black or white with them.

:eyes:

[wyldwolf]

46. who defines what's right wing? "Progressives?"

[Individualist]

53. Exactly

Same neocon enablers, different names.

[Douglas Carpenter]

26. "Moderate?"???? To put it politely, Evan Bayh is a foreign policy neoconservative extremist

Evan Bayh is such a foreign policy extremist that one of his biggest problems with the current Iraq War seems to be that he worries that in might prevent a war with Iran.

http://washingtonindependent.com/159/stop-obamabayh-08

-------

"This is a hallmark of Evan Bayh. A former chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council and a past recipient Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson Award for Distinguished Service from the neoconservative security think tank JINSA."

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/02/03/evan_bayh_tough_but_smart.php

----



Evan Bayh was one of the earliest and most enthusiastic cheerleaders along with Sen. McCain and Sen. Lieberman and the whole crew of neocon nuts for the War in Iraq.

"The Committee for the Liberation of Iraq (CLI) is pleased to welcome Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) as an Honorary Co-Chairman. Bayh becomes the third U.S. Senator to join the committee after Sens. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) announced their participation on January 28.

The Committee is a neo-con group that was formed to propagandize the country into war. It boasted such illustrious neocon members as Bill Kristol, former CIA director James Woolsey, and even McCain senior foreign policy and Chalabi-bamboozler Randy Scheunemann, whom Josh has been blogging about."

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/07/bayh_as_veep_he_cochaired_wing.php


.

[JTFrog]

30. Exactly. n/t

[mmonk]

29. Will they caucus with the Republicans?

[Robbien]

38. Well, they weekly meet with GOPers in secret behind closed door meetings

They get public credit for being Dems but work against the party by using Dem insider info and running to GOPers to set up strategy to fight Dems.

[sofa king]

40. I'd vote for a yellow dog afore I'd vote for a blue dog.

[WI_DEM]

41. I'd like to cut off Bayh's blue balls.

Oh, I mean dogs...No his balls.

[MarjorieG]

42. Maybe give cohesion and Obama-friendly direction instead of 'nay' votes.

Rather Evan than Lieberman or other blue dogs. Inclusive group herding.

[polichick]

51. Thank God Barack didn't choose Bayh for veep.

[AtomicKitten]

52. Oh yeah.