http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-l-borosage/time-to-dog-the-dogs_b_176110.htmlRobert L. Borosage
Co-Director of the Campaign for America’s Future
Posted March 17, 2009 | 09:29 PM (EST)
Time to Dog the Dogs
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But Evan Bayh and his Blue Dog Senators haven't exactly earned trust for their judgment. Bayh, for example, was a leading supporter of making war on Iraq. He joined with the noxious Joe Lieberman in casting the most votes against the president during the stimulus fight. He recently penned a truly bizarre editorial in the Wall Street Journal calling on the president to veto the final appropriations for this fiscal year.
In the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, with the economy hemorrhaging jobs, Bayh argued that the appropriation bill was too big and spent too much money. "Families and businesses are tightening their belts to make ends meet -- and Washington should too.' "Spending," the Senator argues, " should be held in check before taxes are raised, even on the wealthy."
Now listen, folks, this is elemental. The economy is collapsing. Having lost some $13 trillion in household and stock market wealth, consumers are tightening their belts. Businesses are cutting back and laying off workers. Export markets have collapsed. States and localities are facing serious layoffs. The only thing lifting this economy is deficit spending by the federal government. It is at this time that the federal government must loosen its belt, not tighten it. Republicans won't admit that. Bayh clearly doesn't get it.The new Senate Blue Dogs claim, of course, to be high minded advocates of "fiscal responsibility." But this is often a cover for more parochial concerns. Nelson objects to the Obama budget because it calls for moving to direct lending for student loans, saving billions in subsidies to banks and using that money to pay for increased grant aid. Nelnet, a leading student lender, will be hit badly by the change. Its headquarters happen to be in Nebraska.
Kent Conrad argues piously that the deficits are too high, but that doesn't stop him for opposing Obama's call to save billions by paring the wasteful subsidies that go to agribusiness, leading contributors to Conrad's campaign coffers.
Thus far, these Senate wannabe Blue Dogs have done a lot of barking, while threatening to trip up the reforms we need. What they really need is a little discipline. We can't put them on a leash. But at the very least, we could tell them to behave. Why not let them know directly that we don't appreciate their standing in the way? It is time to start dogging the dogs.
The Campaign for America's Future has decided to make this easy. Go to ourfuture.org. We provide a list of the Blue Dogs in the House and the leaders of would be Blue Dogs in the Senate. Pick one, and help instruct them by phone or email. It's time to dog the dogs.
Info to take action here:
http://www.ourfuture.org/node/36490Call (202) 224-3121 and ask the operator to connect you to one these conservative Democrats in your state:
House
Mike Arcuri (NY-24)
Joe Baca (CA-43)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Melissa Bean (IL-8)
Marion Berry (AR-1)
Sanford Bishop (GA-2)
Dan Boren (OK-2)
Leonard Boswell (IA-3)
Allen Boyd (FL-2)
Bobby Bright (AL-2)
Dennis Cardoza (CA-18)
Christopher Carney (PA-10)
Ben Chandler (KY-6)
Jim Cooper (TN-5)
Jim Costa (CA-20)
Lincoln Davis (TN-4) Joe Donnelly (IN-2)
Brad Ellsworth (IN-8)
Bill Foster (IL-14)
Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-8)
Bart Gordon (TN-6)
Parker Griffith (AL-5)
Jane Harman (CA-36)
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD-AL)
Baron Hill (IN-9)
Tim Holden (PA-17)
Frank Kratovil (MD-1)
Jim Marshall (GA-8)
Jim Matheson (UT-2)
Mike McIntyre (NC-7)
Charlie Melancon (LA-3) Mike Michaud (ME-2)
Walt Minnick (ID-1) Dennis Moore (KS-3)
Patrick Murphy (PA-8)
Collin Peterson (MN-7)
Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL)
Mike Ross (AR-4)
John Salazar (CO-3)
Loretta Sanchez (CA-47)
Adam Schiff (CA-29)
David Scott (GA-13)
Heath Shuler (NC-11)
Zack Space (OH-18)
John Tanner (TN-8)
Gene Taylor (MS-4)
Mike Thompson (CA-1)
Charlie Wilson (OH-6)
Senate
Mark Begich (Alaska)
Robert Byrd (W. Va.)
Thomas Carper (Del.)
Kent Conrad (N. D.) Byron Dorgan (N.D.)
Blanche Lincoln (Ark.)
Joe Lieberman (Conn.) Mark Pryor (Ark.)
Claire McCaskill (Mo.)
Mark Warner (Va.)