In 2008, the Blue Dogs’ kennel was overflowing. Three years later, their number is less than half what it was then. They came to power as part of Howard Dean’s 50 state strategy, and although, I support a 50 state strategy, I think we need to rethink the manner in which we implement that strategy.
News that Rep.
Jim CostaDennis Cardoza is retiring is particularly good news for those of us who want to see the end of the pernicious influence of the biggest band of self-defeating Democrats in Congress—the Blue Dogs.In 2008, they numbered 54 members, and bragged that they were turning away Democrats clammoring to join their caucus. After 2010, they were 25—a silver lining to an otherwise bleak year. It turned out that pretending to be Republicans and undermining their party was not a path to self-preservation. Indeed, the Blue Dogs accounted for half of the party’s House losses that year. Yet they didn’t really learn their lesson, and have continued to undermine President Barack Obama and the Democrats.
But their caucus continues to be decimated—this time by retirements. Already, Reps. Dan Boren and Mike Ross, both in the Blue Dog leadership, have announced their retirements from Congress. Good riddance. With Costa’s announcement, that brings them down to 22.
Rep. Joe Donnelly will be running for Senate in Indiana, so that’s 21. Georgia’s John Barrow is being targeted by Republicans drawing up new congressional districts, and likely faces a tough slog back to the House. Pennsylvania Rep. Jason Altmire will be forced by Republican map drawers into the same district as either Dem Rep. Mark Critz or Mark Doyle, giving us a chance to get rid of yet another Blue Dog.
In Utah, map drawers targeted Rep. Jim Matheson, slicing his current district into parts of three new ones and making them all more Republican (from 59 percent GOP to 65 percent). He is deciding whether to run in one of those three districts, or to run for Senate or governor. North Carolina’s two Blue Dogs—Heath Shuler and and Mike McIntyre—have been drawn into brutal districts.
It doesn’t take much effort to see a Blue Dog caucus well under 20 members, and that’s including half-assed Blue-Dog-In-Name-Only members like Reps. Loretta Sanchez, Adam Schiff, David Scott, and Gabby Giffords who generally vote the right way, without the theatrics and rhetoric that undermine the party… [emphasis original]
Inserted from <Daily Kos>
The theory behind the 50 state strategy was to challenge Republicans everywhere, not just in districts where Democrats have an even chance or better. I agree with that. The Democrats became the “big tent” party that would welcome moderate candidates in more conservative areas. In practice, however, most of the so-called moderates turned out to be hard-core conservatives, with no party loyalty, that goose-step with the Republicans on virtually every vote.
We should keep the 50 state strategy, but instead of supporting Blue Dogs with GOP fleas, we should support real Democrats. If Blue Dogs refuse to vote with the party on key issues, they should face primary challenges and receive no support from the party. Give voters in all 50 states the opportunity to choose a real Democrat. If they then elect a Republican, that will be their punishment, and at least we won’t have a representative that gives the party a bad name.
As the housing market began its collapse, Wall Street firms and sophisticated investors searched for ways to profit. Some of them found an easy method: Stuff a portfolio with risky mortgage-related investments, sell it to unsuspecting customers and bet against it. 
My introduction to activism came not from the peace movement, but from the civil rights movement. I felt so shamed by my father’s overt racism that during my simmer vacation in 1963, at fifteen years of age, I headed south to Alabama for a month of protesting. It was there that I first saw Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The people were very caring toward me, and more than once, prevented me from getting myself killed or maimed by police, dogs, fire hoses and angry racists. I wasn’t that brave, but stupid, thinking I was bullet proof, like so many kids of that age. From there, I traveled to Washington, DC and was on the mall when King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. In April, 1967, I was at Riverside Church for King’s “Beyond Vietnam” speech, and met with him afterward, because I was on the committee organizing Vietnam Summer. I met with Dr. King half a dozen times, always in a group, and only spoke with him one-on-one on a couple brief occasions, but he had a profound influence on me. He taught me to persevere, that worthwhile accomplishments take time. He taught me that faith does not have to be ugly. He taught me that non-violence is the only path to lasting reform. No monument can do justice to this giant of a man. Barack Obama gave the keynote speech. Here it is followed by “I have a Dream” and “Beyond Vietnam ”.
For the record, we on “the left” do not attack Justice Thomas for any reason other than the fact that he is a terrible judge. His record on the Supreme Court is marred by 