Fifty-two members of the Blue Dog Democrats coalition are supposedly standing in the way of President Barack Obama’s signature domestic policy issue – a radical and increasingly unpopular proposed government takeover of what remains of the nation’s private health care system. But so far, with few exceptions, the Blue Dogs have acted more like lap dogs. For example, four Blue Dogs – led by Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) – cast the deciding votes to pass a “compromise” health-care bill out of the critical House Energy and Commerce Committee. This same committee gave a thumbs down to Hillarycare in 1993. Ross and his three Blue Dog colleagues voted for the bill despite the fact, that, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has repeatedly pointed out, the bill contains a “public option” designed eventually to replace the private health insurance industry with a government system run by federal bureaucrats.
Back home, many of the moderate Blue Dog Democrats have gotten an earful from angry constituents at town hall meetings held in their Republican-leaning districts. Ross, who chairs the Blue Dogs’ health-care task force, told 700 people attending his town hall last week that he would not support any legislation that included federal funding for abortion, coverage for illegal aliens, or rationed health care. But when one constituent stood up and asked Ross why he voted in committee for everything he just said he opposed, the top dog’s lame excuse was that the bill he voted for was not the final version. In fact, the final version could be even more unpalatable to voters worried sick about health care. Ross acknowledged that the toothless deal he made with committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), to moderate some of the bill’s more onerous provisions might not even survive the legislative process.
The Blue Dogs came into existence following the 1994 Republican takeover of Congress, partly in reaction to the Clinton administration’s previous attempt to impose government health care on all Americans. Fourty-nine of the 52 Blue Dogs currently serving in the House were elected in districts that also voted in 2008 for Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain. The Blue Dogs campaigned as Democrats who were also fiscal conservatives and thus uniquely independent.
But instead of being independent conservatives, most of the Blue Dogs have voted for billion-dollar bailouts, the president’s non-stimulating stimulus, and the economy-wrecking cap-and-trade bill. Now they’re supporting health-care “reform” that 54 percent of Americans say they don’t want. The Blue Dogs will have to do more than wag their tails and vote the party line if they want to be taken seriously when Congress returns in September.
