Blue Dogs Sent Back to Kennel

The Blue Dog Coalition of fiscally conservative Democratic House members may wish it had never left the dog pound. More than 40 percent of the coalition’s members – 22 out of 54 – bit the dust Tuesday, Roll Call reports.

Two of the three Blue Dog co-chairmen, Reps. Baron Hill (pictured) of Indiana and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota, went down, as did senior member Allen Boyd of Florida. It was “a miserable year” for the coalition, which grew sharply in the last two elections, says a House Democratic aide with ties to the group.

Many say top Democrats bear blame for the downfall. “The Democratic leadership in the House did not listen to the pressure from the Blue Dogs to go slower, or to be less ambitious in their scope,” says B&D Consulting lobbyist Maria Berthoud.

“The Blue Dog body count is a direct result of there not being enough room currently for moderates in the House Caucus decisions.”