Blue Dogs Just Love Democracy

As a prelude to President Barack Obama's speech, you must know there are a group of pesky, petulant, piss ant, mangy mutts roaming the Capitol. Willing to take a piss wherever they see fit and health care reform looks to be the next target. For those of you who have been following these "Blue Dogs" as they refer to themselves are conservative Democrats at face value, but beneath it all they are the worst kind of politician. No loyalties unless they sniff the mighty dollar.

In this case their bones are coming from none other than the insurance industry and these Blue Dogs, Roll over Ross, Bitchin Bayh and their head hound Ben Nelson are sure to find a way to make health care reform and the public option a pile of shit we have to clean up without a doggy bag.

From Digby:

Most people are willing to be practical if somebody comes from a district that is truly conservative and demands that they vote a certain way. Democracy is democracy. But these corporate lackeys and village shills who refuse to represent their constituents and act like Republicans are another story.

It is an entirely different story with Bayh and Ben Nelson, these two must be sniffing each others butts:

Nelson didn't come right out and say, "I'll vote with the GOP to filibuster a bill with a public option." It's more of a generic threat -- Nelson might vote with the GOP to filibuster reform.

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) signaled a similar approach. In fact, in some ways, he's worse -- The Hill reported that Bayh initially said "he considers procedural votes no different from final votes on legislation," though he later walked that back a little.

It gets back to a point we discussed over the weekend. Ed Kilgore argued, "That Democrats could be against health reform is disappointing. That they'd deny a vote on it is unacceptable.... [T]he time has come -- and in fact, it is long overdue -- for them to begin forcefully making the case that being a member in good standing of the party's Senate caucus means supporting cloture motions on key legislation even if a given senator intends to vote against it."

This shouldn't even be controversial -- to be a member of the caucus means letting the Senate vote on Democratic bills. It doesn't mean every Dem has to vote for every Democratic idea; it means they at least have to let the vote happen.

Nelson and Bayh don't see it that way.

And they never will and the question is what part of "D" next to their name do they not understand, oh that's right these Blue Dogs have "$" next to their name. To the highest bidder goes Democracy and many millions will remain without a viable public option or even a watered down and dried out version of health care reform.

If after the President's speech tonight there is no wake up for these Blue Dogs, I say it is time we putt them up for adoption I am sure there is an elephant's back they can hitch a ride on.




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