Nancy Pelosi Does Not Care About Blue Dogs- What Else Is New

Contentions has a good article on how the blue dog conservative Democrats are getting very nervous. Here is a part:

Politically vulnerable Democrats say Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House leaders aren’t offering them the protection from tough votes that they did in the last Congress.
Conservative Democrats fear that dozens of members could be swept out of their districts in the midterm election next year, and that fear has been intensifying in recent weeks.
Between a tough vote on a climate change bill that many don’t expect to become law and a leftward push on healthcare legislation, Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) critics within her caucus say she’s left the so-called “majority makers” exposed...............

“She keeps trying to push an unpopular package,” said Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), a centrist Blue Dog Democrat, referring to healthcare. “I think it’s fair to say they were better at it before.” Another Blue Dog lawmaker put it more bluntly. “They’re seriously endangering their majority,” said the Blue Dog, who requested anonymity. “With the increased margin and a [Democratic] president, there seems to be a different feeling.”..........

Except no Pelosi was not exactly great at it before. Just ask former Democrat now Republican Congressman Rodney Alexander of Louisiana.

I have had several conversations with people close to him and it was apparent that while Pelosi was minority leader she cared very little for the practical conservative realities of his district. There was much pressure on him to make absurd votes that were out of seeing with his district. Rodney was very popular in his district and the Dems could have kept that forever. However Rodney got tired of Pelosi unreasonable demands and split . Something that didn't have to happen. Now he is just as popular as a Republican of the most part absent the block black vote he used to get.

One really has to wonder what the Gene Taylor's of the world are really talking about in private right now and countless others. Already one sense the country thinks there needs to be a tad of correction to get more back to real divided Govt to at at least slow things now. It appears the next election will be nationalized.

And from the White House? Nothing. Obama appears to be oddly out of touch and Biden is no LBJ in these legislative matters it appears.

So how will they fare? Last Congress the main purpose of Democrats seemed to be to stop Bush at all cost. Even on things they largely agreed with such as the immigration bill. Can't let Bush get any victory.Now that the Bush hatred of Democrats is gone there is not much to give cover .

Howard Dean to his crediit was pretty good at recruiting blue dogs that could win. Now a out of contol liberal Dem leadership is about to risk that on short term gains on legilsation that still might be stopped.