Do Blue Dogs Stink?

A Dog By Any Other Name

Blue Dogs are a fairly recent Democratic Party mongrel hybrid.  They have enjoyed growing numbers and increased popularity since its inception as a recognized coalition in 1995. Preferring moderate to center-right political stance, we recommend caution when electing to welcome one of these "blue pups" into your House to ensure their Yellow Dog tendencies aren’t, in fact, their most dominant trait.

How these Blue Dogs got their name and why they were even thought a necessity in the first place is sort of interesting and worth mentioning. Before the Blue Dogs got their name, there were similar groups within the Democratic party that were more fiscally conservative and socially moderate than their Democratic counterparts. The Boll Weevils and Dixiecrats were basically earlier versions of the Blue Dog. 

The name Blue Dog seems to just roll off the tongue a little easier, and being that a dog is a dog, it actually compliments the Party’s counterpart, the "Yellow Dog Democrat," those Democrats known for holding steadfast to the party’s socialist  ideology. Pete Geren, of Texas, serving as U.S. Secretary of the Army since 2007,  is the person given credit for coining the term Blue Dog. It was Pete that said members of the Democratic party had been "choked blue" by the extreme leftists of the Democrat party. The infamous "Blue Dog" picture most have come to identify with the group is from paintings of a blue dog done by Louisiana artist, George Rodrigue, and hung in the offices of  then Democratic Representatives Jimmy Hayes and Billy Tauzin, both of whom later switched to the Republican Party.  Blue Dogs are often elected in conservative-leaning areas of the country where voters find their similarity to  Republican positions indistinguishable.

Blue Dog Coalition Members

Below are the current (2009) 52 members of the Blue Dog Coalition:

Leadership Team

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration
Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy
Rep. Charlie Melancon (LA-03), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications
Rep. Heath Shuler (NC-11), Blue Dog Whip

Members

Altmire, Jason (PA-04)
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24)
Baca, Joe (CA-43)
Barrow, John (GA-12)
Berry, Marion (AR-01)
Bishop, Sanford (GA-02)
Boren, Dan (OK-02)
Boswell, Leonard (IA-03)
Boyd, Allen (FL-02)
Bright, Bobby (AL-02)
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18)
Carney, Christopher (PA-10)
Chandler, Ben (KY-06)
Childers, Travis (MS-01)
Cooper, Jim (TN-05)
Costa, Jim (CA-20)
Cuellar, Henry (TX-28)
Dahlkemper, Kathy (PA-03)
Davis, Lincoln (TN-04)
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02)
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08)
Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08)
Gordon, Bart (TN-06)
Griffith, Parker (AL-05)
Harman, Jane (CA-36)
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (SD)
Hill, Baron (IN-09)
Holden, Tim (PA-17)
Kratovil, Jr., Frank (MD-01)
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07)
Marshall, Jim (GA-03)
Matheson, Jim (UT-02)
Melancon, Charlie (LA-03)
Michaud, Mike (ME-02)
Minnick, Walt (ID-01)
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05)
Moore, Dennis (KS-03)
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08)
Nye, Glenn (VA-02)
Peterson, Collin (MN-07)
Pomeroy, Earl (ND)
Ross, Mike (AR-04)
Salazar, John (CO-03)
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47)
Schiff, Adam (CA-29)
Scott, David (GA-13)
Shuler, Heath (NC-11)
Space, Zack (OH-18)
Tanner, John (TN-08)
Taylor, Gene (MS-04)
Thompson, Mike (CA-01)
Wilson, Charles (OH-06)

At a time when all executive levels of the government are controlled by the Democratic Party, this Blue Dog Coalition has a tremendous opportunity to hold their extreme members accountable to the people and oppose partisan politics used to corrupt our Constitution. Those unhappy with the current leadership, or lack thereof, taking place in Washington should watch this group closely and grade them in the election booth in 2010 on the merit of their votes and not of their party.  

Neither a true liberal nor a conservative, these Blue Dogs need to listen carefully to the voices of those they represent. Votes made in alignment with the Pelosi socialist programs, especially on Constitutional-altering issues our country now face, like Obama’s Healthcare and Cap-and-Trade, will likely result in an escort of the Blue Dogs straight from the White House to the nearest dog house. Come October 2010, when the Blue Dogs’ true colors have been exposed and their constituents shake an accusing finger their way, something tells me the Yellow Dogs and Progressives will turn a deaf ear when they run to their liberal base singing the Blues.