He is unhappy with the friendly fire?? That's rich.

Makes you wonder if these so-called "Blue Dogs" have been undercover Republican operatives all along. When we were in the minority it didn't matter anyway, but now that the Reps can't do it on their own anymore it seems like their lapdogs are revealing themselves at last.

They're even using some of the same language and talking points, for crying out loud.

Can you say "Quisling"? I knew you could!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quisling

Why is there all of the angst by Repugs and the right-wing concerning the "destruction of our two-party system"? The Democrats have always done a grand job of behaving like a multiparty party.

Evan,
Face it, you're just a DOG, you ain't got no blue in ya.
What a twit!

Obama will probably be able to read the huge red flags here. How strong can his support be when members of his own party can't find a way to get behind him? He's a sharp guy and he'll figure out quickly that a shift to the right to put him in line with average voters is his best move. Otherwise, I suspect his first four years will be his last.

Everybody take a penny. Tape it to a 3x5 card. Write on the card in big block letters "SELLOUT." Put the card in an envelope. Send it to:
Senator Evan Bayh
United States Senate
131 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1404

... He's a sharp guy and he'll figure out quickly that a shift to the right to put him in line with average voters is his best move.

"Average voters" voted for a Democratic Congress in 2006, as well as a majority of Democratic Governors' mansions and state legislatures.

"Average voters" voted to make it an even more Democratic Congress in 2008, and elected an African American with the middle name of "Hussein" to the Presidency with the hopes that he could get this country a working health care system for all, protections for the environment, a sane foreign policy, and a more progressive tax and economic structure.

So there's actually only one place in which "average voters" are to the political right of Obama: that empty shell you call a head.

But keep trying to delude yourself that the country hasn't passed you clueless fucking clowns by.

"Democrats who prefer to drive with their foot on the brake."

truer words were never written.

Though my party of choice for the past 30+ years stinks right now, and seemingly is obnoxiously playing out a busted hand, and merely delaying the outcome of defeat, it is the idiotic attitudes of Democrats like Bayh that allow me never to cross over to the party of disunity.

Bayh and his coterie should be promoting the programs of the president.

If Americans wanted a divided government at this time, the senatorial elections of November 2006 and 2008 would not have turned out the way they did, and yet, senators such as Bayh will no doubt snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory - that's how screwed up the Democratic party has been at least over my late 50 years on the planet! -Kevo

"He's a sharp guy and he'll figure out quickly that a shift to the right to put him in line with average voters is his best move." Matthew Quarreler

Are you a paid stool?

Shifting to the right has nothing to do with anything. America is a center left country. That's not an opinion, it's a matter of fact, backed up by numerous polls from across the political spectrum which asked Americans about basic direction questions.

I'd like to debate you on this issue, but the American electorate has spoken, with obvious results, so there rally isn't any incentive for me.

You are entitled to your opinion, this is a free country. But, you are wrong. No surprise there, you are a wing nut after all.

My opinion is that Bayh should do whatever he thinks is right. If he really thinks this sort of lame incrementalism is in his and in the country's best interest, he should go ahead and own it. Its exceedingly lame however to do so and then whine and fuss about being attacked for it. Really, if you aren't going to have some pride at least you should demonstrate the capacity to feel shame.

see http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/68517 for an entirely appropriate editorial cartoon

They are gathered to ensure that Obama's "health care' reform will not be able to get through the senate using the 'budget reconciliation' process that would only require 50 votes to get passed in order for the republicans to be able to filibuster health care policy preventing it from being passed.

THAT is their agenda. If it gets passed it would mean great success for the dem party for many elections to come yet these "dem" centrists will single-handedly prevent that from happening. If many of its members are too stupid to realize that then they have once again been duped by republicans. Cap n trade is merely a guise to cover the real agenda.

Let it be known that these Blue Dumbs more than any other group will be responsible for blocking health care reform because senate republicans have already said they will filibuster ANY health care policy Obama puts forward because it is absolutely necessary for the survival OF THEIR PARTY.

Bayh is a liar and knows full well this is why he is organizing this Blue obstruction group. He's being well paid for this effort.

McCaskill has no insight of her own and just buys into what she's told without seeing a bigger picture. She's a follower without the ability to rock the boat...hardly the 'liberal' agenda she campaigned on. If she continues with this nonsense she will see that the ones who got her elected will make sure they also get her un-elected. Her record is getting hard to ignore. Some liberal huh.

"He's a sharp guy and he'll figure out quickly that a shift to the right to put him in line with average voters is his best move." Matthew Quarreler

Are you a paid stool?

He's a parody troll, parodying the idiotic MatthewRMarler

BS they have no agenda! What part of the voters' mandate did they not quite "get" in November? This is exactly how Democrats squandered the Democratic majority in Congress from 2006-2008. It's infuriating that the blue dogs would undermine Obama's first year opportunities. I am very disgusted with Claire McCaskill, Evan Bayh, the whole lot. It's time to let them know that we don't respect and won't reward traitors.

"...He's a sharp guy and he'll figure out quickly that a shift to the right to put him in line with average voters is his best move. Otherwise, I suspect his first four years will be his last.
Posted by: MatthewRQuarreler on March 26, 2009 at 3:45 PM | ..."

That's about the stupidest thing I've read here lately. Go check the polls dummy, the average voter backs Obama by a huge majority. It is the Blue Dogs the average voter will seek to get rid of. Just look at how ell the republican blue dog obstructionism has worked for them in the recent past. It got Obama elected and majority in both houses for dems. You obviously are listening to right wing bullshit if you think the average voter wants Obama to move to the right. Total nonsense.

You probably also buy into "we are a center right nation" when all the polls show we are a liberal nation by a huge majority and want health care and a policy to deal with climate change and new energy sources. Facts are irritating huh.

Would you all please stop harassing me while I'm trying to harass the President.

My wife assures me that universal health care is not in our best interests, so the centrist position is to oppose it.

And the Republican budget has no numbers. And AIG's failure has no authors. It's the Era of Nothing! Awesome.

Anyone else want to get together after work and sit around?

Of course Bayh has an agenda. He just can't publicly announce it because it is such an obvious conflict of interest. Any reform of the health care system will cut into his wife's rather large income since she sits on the boards of 5 health care companies and receives dividends or stock from 2 additional health care companies.

I know if you research every one of these Blue Dog/Centrist/Moderate/bullshit Senators you will find a huge money trail. I think the money they get from big business needs to be illuminated and then expose them for the Republicans they are.

Evan Bayh wants to tackle health reform...his wife is a healthcare adminstrator and they chance to lose big money if healthcare is reformed. GRRRRRRRRR!

Hey Steve,
Do you have any thoughts on Ron Brownstein's piece on Ambinder's page called "Why Obama Can't Satisfy the Left"? Seems to me that Brownstein's take is totally off the mark. Thanks.

Contact those Blue Dog senators and remind the newbies exactly WHY they were elected and to WHICH party they belong. There is a reason Bayh did not get very far with his presidential bid last year. The newbies need to be reminded not to be palling around with the prosaic among them.

Aww, it's not friendly fire, Evan. Most of us despise you and the rest of your corporate owned ilk.

Personally, I don't have a problem with the Blue Dog Democrats. People need to remember that the party is not a monolith, and that being a Democrat can mean very different things in different parts of the country. That their views on certain issues are different from those of other Democrats should be no suprise to anyone.

Jusy because their are 58 Democratic senators right now does not mean that they all agree on every issue.

::If many of its members are too stupid to realize that then they have once again been duped by republicans.::

Sweet deal the Republicans have going. They have the tool Bayh to water down any bill that tries to accomplish anything into uselessness, then they can all vote against it en masse anyway.

Bayh is loving all this attention. It gives him the false sense of power. We would be better served to focus our attention on some of the senators in this so-called moderate coalition who may be a bit more responsive to public pressure to change their views. North Carolina's Hagan has indicated membership in this clan. She is a brand new senator, and may be won over if shown the errors of her ways. Who are some of the others who may be a bit more pliable than Bayh, Landrieu and Nelson (all lost causes)?

At least they are noticing that there is some pushback. They'll really notice it when their asses get primaried. I like the penny on the postcard "SELLOUT" idea.

We should be glad these turkeys actually have a policy agenda, unpleasant as it is. Forming a group like that without any policy agenda at all means being for sale to whoever can promise them the most headlines and personal power. (Which is also not that far from the mark.)

Before criticizing them, consider where all the Blue Dogs come from...most are from states that are moderate to conservative....Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Louisiana, Montana, etc...not exactly hotbeds of liberalism!

So cut them some slack. They may be too moderate from the perspective of coastal liberals, but in most cases they are pretty much in tune with the states they represent.

Theirs is quite a disgrace.

Come on, Steve, if Bayh can't lead his band of merry corporate saboteurs against Obama, then how's he going to shake down K Street for campaign cash?

It's not a new game. Bayh just apparently doesn't know how to play it without screaming, "I'M THE ONLY THING BETWEEN YOU AND SOCIALIZED MEDICINE!"

I suppose we should be grateful he's so blunt about it, lest anyone think he's not a corporate-owned, anti-Democratic tool.

Was listening to "Rachel Maddow Show" tonight and she interviewed some reporter that told about a reporter friend of his talking to Republican senate aide last week.

The reporter asked why the Republicans weren't pushing back harder on Obama's budget. The senate aide said, "Why sould we, we've got Kent Conrad(Dem head of Senate Budget Committee) to do that."

Check the transcript.

Why is Evan Bayh still in office? We need to purge the party of the these Blue dogs. Why is this asshole a Democrat? Can someone honestly explain that to me. Bayh is just like Zell Miller - he must go - we need progressive Dems in the Senate not these morons...