Blue Dog Democrats and Republican Triangulation

Senator John McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain, has served up a devastating critique of the direction the Republican Party has taken recently. "If figureheads like Ann Coulter are turning me off," Ms. McCain writes, "then they are definitely turning off other members of my generation as well." She understands that when the GOP's dominant personalities are a bleach-blonde banshee, a loud-mouthed shock jock, a "plumber" who writes "books," and a "hipster" chairman who can't get the party line straight, most people, regardless of political affiliation, can see that the "Party of Lincoln" has devolved into the "Party of Limbaugh."

But be forewarned, the rot from within the Republican Party doesn't mean Republicans can't still win elections. They know how to drive up the "negatives" of their opponents. In a rare display of candor, North Carolina Representative Patrick McHenry said: "Our goal is to bring down the approval numbers for [Speaker] Pelosi and for House Democrats. That will take repetition. This is a marathon, not a sprint." He boasted about the GOP's "strategy" going forward: "We will lose on legislation. But we will win the message war every day, and every week, until November 2010." This Republican "communications" operation is already in full swing with the corporate media playing the usual enabler role.

Even though we're facing what Alan Greenspan called a "once in a century" economic cataclysm, the public airwaves are still filled with the familiar Republican boilerplate: cut taxes, cut spending, deregulate, let the market work its magic, and so on. And for some bizarre reason Blue Dog Democrats have chosen to ape these discredited Republican doctrines. These elite-serving ideas permeating the political discourse are dangerous. Remember, we're still dealing with an electorate that elected Richard Nixon twice, Ronald Reagan twice, George H.W. Bush once, gave the House of Representatives to Newt Gingrich, and then re-elected George W. Bush.

The Blue Dogs provide an opening for the Republicans to "triangulate" against the progressives inside the Democratic Party. They're calling for "belt tightening" at a time of severe under-consumption and high unemployment. Republican leaders in the Senate will try to use the Evan Bayhs and Blanche Lincolns of the Blue Dog faction as a wedge to defeat vital parts of President Barack Obama's legislative agenda.

One thing the current economic crisis has taught almost everybody is just how little control we have over our lives. The three-decade era of largely unfettered capitalism tore apart communities, outsourced jobs, forced us to work harder for less, and pile up debt just to stay in place. And how about those crooks over at AIG? After a taxpayer bailout of $170 billion they continue to dole out hundreds of millions in "bonuses" to the same people who brought down the whole company through their mismanagement of the "financial products division." Wow! Whatever capitalism's merits, "conservatism" is clearly not one of them, (unless you see credit-default swaps as expressions of Norman Rockwell's America). Ironically, now that the social dislocations have multiplied a hundredfold, the Republicans might be able to benefit politically by exploiting the pervasive fear and uncertainty caused by their own laissez-faire policies. (About this prospect, somewhere, some place, William Kristol and Grover Norquist are saying: "Sweeeet.")

We need to reverse decades of the maldistribution of wealth and usher in a more just era for working people through passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). We need a new international economic order that brings in China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the other countries awash in dollars after decades of "free trade" policies that hollowed out American manufacturing while creating astonishing trade imbalances and current accounts deficits. We need a new set of rules imposed on corporations that gives investors not only the "transparency" we hear so much about, but a real share in corporate governance, including determining the amount of compensation CEOs and other executives extort from institutions they've been hired to serve yet in recent years have only looted.

Finally, progressive Democrats must continue to press the Obama administration to end the costly occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. The Blue Dog Democrats voted for Bush's wars knowing they would balloon the deficit. Now they're deficit hawks. We can't afford the open-ended occupations of these countries. The bottom line is this: the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan have the right to rule themselves -- even badly -- and the United States should step aside and give them the chance to do so.

Republican congressional leaders have been wasting time on stem cells and "earmarks" when we face an economic crisis the likes of which we haven't seen before. It's still uncertain whether the United States and its institutions have the capacity or the political will to pull the country out of this morass. And with Blue Doggery rearing its ugly head President Obama could end up losing some crucial battles with the Congress. We must not allow the Blue Dogs to slow down President Obama's momentum or water down the sweeping reforms the nation needs in these trying economic times.

Comments

[Pema]

I would like to know the name of every blue dog in their lil revolution.

[robeson]

First, they must not be allowed to hide under the false MSM cover of centrists. They are not. The majority supports these Obama proposals so they could not possibly be centrists. Second, the citizens of their states must be made aware of their Senator's right wing positions, and that they are not being properly represented. And last they must be challenged in primaries.

[dixieluke]

Dear Senator Bayh:
So you, Lincoln, and Carper are joining with the Republican Party to stop the President’s economic recovery, and you are calling it “deficit reduction.” Here we are with the second greatest economic disaster in the history of this country, and your group is trying to undo what millions of Americans worked so hard to do—to form a unified Democratic Party that would overcome the old Republican model of greed, spending, warmongering, spying on ordinary Americans, assassination squads, and hundred of other unconscionable acts.

Senator, how is it that you know more than Nouriel Roubini, Paul Krugman, or the dozens of other economists who study the economy? Do you think that the theatrics of McCain, Graham, Boehner, and McConnell will help us? We sat by for eight years and watched Blue Dog Democrats vote to send soldiers into harm's way by voting for Bush's policies. Large defense contractors were making billions of dollars off the Iraq occupation. Blue Dogs joined Southern senators in making sure that they got part of the pie.
I, and millions of other Americans, donated money, worked long hours, walked the streets, pounded on doors, made phone calls, and campaigned hard to get a President with some gumption and some principles elected, and you and your group of dissenting Democrats want to destroy the hard work of millions of Americans by behaving like a bunch of crackpot Republicans that should have long since been disgraced--at a time when we need statesmanship.

[Joseph A. Palermo - Huffpost Blogger]

dixieluke, good points all -- we need to press the Blue Doggies to see reason -- their stand on organized labor and social programs could be the way to do it -- and Ned Lamont style primary challenges too.

[TScheisskopf]

As The Good Dr. Black is wont to say, over and over again, so it sinks in: "More and better Democrats". You do that by primary challengers. Challengers who, even if they don't win, scare the beejeesus out of the winner and push them towards normative electorate realities.

We on the Democratic Party side of things need to challenge hackery wherever it sticks up its ugly head. Even in our own party.

[power1]

Higher taxes and increased government will not cure the recession. By the way, I don't think government is evil, just incompetent.

[NorCalNative]

Mr. Palermo, I would agree that Blue Dogs and Republican triangulation are problematic. No true fan of Constitutional government can cheer this union. Triangulation equals strangulation of progressive ideology, as you note.

In my humble opinion, this country will never live up to its potential until we can figure out how to come to grips with two things.

1) Republicans HATE GOVERNMENT.

2) 45% of the nation DOES NOT believe in evolution.

Based on those two points alone it's remarkable that Democrats ever manage to get elected and/or manage government in a professional manner. There is a surprising range of political views within the Democratic Party. I don't think this complex nation is well-served by this system.

[progressiveconnie]

On March 16th U.S. Senator John Cornyn conducted a committee meeting on the serious problem of frivolous, abusive, unjust lawsuits and ways to begin limiting such lawsuits.
An arbitration Task Force representative explained the Britain has begun using arbitration boards paid for by the government to deal with the serious problem of abusive, unjust lawsuits that have been having a devasting affect on their countrys financial and business systems and also on individual victims of such lawsuits.
It is estimated that America could save at least a half trilliion dollars in our economy by implementing national, state, county and city arbitration boards and with America in financial freefall doing this NOW.
It is time to free the American people from the tyranny of their legal systems.
Following are a few examples of this corruption and tyranny; Starr stealing 70 million of the peoples tax dollars about a lawsuit over a sex act between two adults, innocent businesses and individuals are forced into bankrupcy because of abusive lawsuits that go on forever and cost a fortune and most Americans can no longer afford such corrupt legal practices, such lawsuits discourage doctors and nurses from implementing common sense cost savings procedures in health care, also doctors are increasingly afraid to perform high risk surgeries and as a result lives are lost.
One of the most important question about legal corruption is, "Why do America's judges allow such abusive, unjust lawsuits to continue in their courts and increase year after year???!!!

[Joseph A. Palermo - Huffpost Blogger]

The stakes are too high for the nation right now to allow some Blue Dogs to water down the reforms that have been needed for about 30 years now. It's unfortunate that Reagan was allowed to move the political spectrum to the right and make government the enemy -- those regulations and the welfare state were essential supports for the creation of the middle class -- today, the middle class has been beaten down and the Blue Dogs and the Republicans don't seem to get it -- next time they want our sons and daughters to go fight a war for them we should ask them what have done for us lately? FDR was a successful president because he helped pull the country together not tear it apart as the Cheneys and Roves et al. are dedicated to doing.

[Jasmined5]

You are right.

What do you suggest we do to work on making them see how unhappy we are with them?.

I have written, phoned and mailed my comments to all involved>

[cam]

A major problem is that the right-wing have managed to demonize so much of left-wing political philosophy. Capitalism is not considered the curse word socialism is, but as history has shown, unfettered capitalism is as bad as unfettered socialism. In reality both socialism and capitalism are active elements of any functional society, and we should discuss them on equal terms.

It is time to make capitalism work with socialism instead of at odds with it.

[Prankster]

Here is a list of the 8 "dems" who just voted against the cap and trade. If one of them is your rep, you should go and tell them what you think.

[howcome]

I thanked each and every one

[dawn1041]

I agree something must be done. There are more Progressive Dems. The Progressive Dems should take the Blue Dog Dems on by telling them to tow the line or get out of our way. If they don't tow the line, a strong primary challenger should remedy the situation. The grassroots should then swell behind the primary challenger. In most cases ACTION speaks louder than WORDS.

[stell]

What's ironic Mr. Palermo is that many of these so-called Blue Dogs were elected or re-elected on the back of Barack Obama. Take Sen. Hagin from North Carolina for example, she rode her little One Stop Obama/Hagin party line vote machine to victory in this former Republican stronghold. Much of it was because of black voters. Mark Warner, was given the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convenction, and also was aided by him in getting elected last November. I know politics is rough and tumble but these people are not putting the best interests of their nation or probably not even their constituents above their own naked self-interest.

[leeman79]

I can assure you that Mark Warner and Jim Webb will put their constituents first. I can't speak for other states.

[slank]

Mr. Palermo, I read all your posts and I even get email alerts for when you post. Your posts are informative and easy to read. Generally, there is nothing one can add to them, you state your position well and who would argue with that? I like it when you post because I will always learn something from you and honestly do not think you will learn anything from me through my comments. However, I should at least be able to let you know well said and I enjoyed another post. I will do better in future!

[Joseph A. Palermo - Huffpost Blogger]

slank: Hey thanks, I just get bummed sometimes when the 24 hour news cycle dictates what's read and what's not -- AIG is big news right now but they should have been dealt with when they went on their 440,000$$$ junket -- thanks for reading my stuff!

[johnie2xs]

Hey Joey; First thing is that I usually try to comment on all your posts, but lately I've been having a lot of trouble with the moderators on this site who continually dump me for no apparent reason that I can see. That makes it really exasperating when you want to get into the conversation and they slam the door on you. I keep getting prompts that say I've been posted when I haven't.

Anyway; Isn't it a real Kick in the a$$ the way these Blue Dogs pull this crap. When it came out last week that nine of them had banded together in some sort of confederation to point up their wanting to push for fiscal responsibility, I had I had to stop and wonder what Rethug was pulling their strings. This is what we might have expected in the last administration, whereby Buch or Cheney would work these guys and get them to capitulate. Who's doing it this time?

[deal-with-it]

Mr. Palermo, I couldn't agree with you more that AIG and everyone else who receives bail-out money should play by the government's rules...no outlandish bonuses (if any)! It doesn't make sense AT ALL to "socialize failure" but "privatize gain."

I am so fed up with both Republicans and Democrats and their crummy earmarks and their stupid, sick hypocrisy. Since when does a bridge in some podunk community (or whatever other truly local project that an earmark details) become a federal issue requiring the tax dollars of some poor guy who doesn't even live in that state?

If Obama had stood up to BOTH parties and demanded no earmarks in the Omnibus funding bill (i.e. just a Continuing Resolution or something like that) he would have had the political capital to do so, and he would have reaped a handsome political dividend. I would have been cheering for him and so would practically everyone else who is a normal person. But no, just like with the stimulus, he rambled on about "the 'perfect' not being the enemy of the 'necessary'" Same old, same old. Move along, folks, nothing [new] to see here...

Oh, and don't tell me that both parties don't play the negatives game. It's a broken system and besides, I don't know that Obama has the courage to fix it after all.

[Joseph A. Palermo - Huffpost Blogger]

Here's what I wrote March 4th in a similar blog that next to zero comments:

"American International Group (AIG), which never should have been allowed to consolidate into such a monstrous conglomerate in the first place, is now "too big to fail" and holds hostage the nation's state and municipal employees' pension plans. This giant insurance-­slash-brok­erage-slas­h-investme­nt-slash-c­ommercial-­slash-"fin­ancial services" company now holds a gun to the head of the U.S. Treasury demanding cash just like an armed robber in a stocking mask robbing a local 7-11.

It's understandable that the AIG "brand," after extorting $162 billion in taxpayer money, now makes the names "Enron" and "Philip Morris" sound sweet. AIG should follow Blackwater's lead and "re-brand" itself. I suggest "Xee."

Just because AIG, Citicorp, and other financial oligopolies hold in their grubby little hands grandma's monthly pension check doesn't mean they should get away with dictating to the country the terms of their welfare program. The federal government should nationalize them forthwith, their executives should be fired (and possibly jailed), and the companies broken up and restructured into entities akin to a public utility. PERIOD."

[Joseph A. Palermo - Huffpost Blogger]

Hey thanks for the comments -- I appreciate any I can get these days -- I guess I better just wait until I have something really, really, really interesting to say before I post.

[johnie2xs]

I disagree. Whenever YOU feel you have something to say, is the time to say it. Don't hold back. Don't rate the merit of your thoughts by the level of response. Your thoughts are appreciated by those of us who value them, and we don't want to be deprived of them because others may not be as discerning.

Keep it coming, Joey!

[RGray]

Mr. Palermo,

Everything that you post is really, really, really interesting. You are one of a handful of my favorites and I look foward to your sound and principled discussion of the serious issues that Americans face. The news since the election has been particularly frustrating to me. The "silly season in politics" that President Obama referenced during the campaign has only gotten sillier. The strident carping from the right has a sinister underbelly bordering on madness that only seeks cover in the guise of conservative political ideology. Their fight against candidate and now, President Obama has always only ever been about one thing and I speak not of the differences between Republicans and Democrats.

Your posts are always an invaluable source of knowledge so please keep them coming ... regularly. :-)