By Dave Lindorff

What’s the difference between a Blue Dog Democrat and a progressive
Democrat? One is a vertebrate with a spine and a willingness to bite.
The other is a jellyfish with no spine and no teeth.

This difference has been glaringly apparent in the current fight over health care reform.

The Blue Dogs in House and Senate have been giving the progressive
Democrats an object lesson in how a small group in Congress can get its
way. They have threatened to withhold their support for the Obama
Administration’s key policy objective of a health reform package, and
have managed, with just a handful of votes between them, to remove
almost all progressive content from that legislation by threatening to
walk if they don’t get their way.

BlueDog "Democrats" are waging a quiet but crucial battle to kill this year's global warming bill. Thanks to Republican opposition, we're already two decades behind in taking decisive action - and next year is an election year. President Obama wants action now, but he's being blocked by BlueDogs.

“New Dems are in a tough spot,” said one Blue Dog member, explaining that New Democrats are more likely to have an environmental constituency at odds with their business constituency. Blue Dogs, by comparison, have more freedom simply to vote no on climate change legislation.

So BlueDogs plan to simply vote NO - and do nothing about global warming?

Here's a simple question for all the BlueDogs: What planet do you live on??? Because the one we live on is in deep trouble.

Below is the current list of BlueDogs. Call them and post their replies below. Maybe if they hear from enough of us, they will realize they live on Earth - just like all the rest of us.

By Dave Lindorff

If the disaster of the so-called "stimulus" bill just passed by the
Senate doesn't convince President Obama and his advisers that the
strategy of "bipartisanship" that he has been espousing is a political
suicide, nothing will.

The Republican Party, with the willing help of conservative
Democrats like Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Democratic turncoats like
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), has forced Obama to agree to a joke of a
stimulus package that is nearly half composed of tax breaks which will
do nothing to bolster the economy (since most of the money will end up
either paying down credit card debt or buying Chinese and Sri Lankan
imports) and that is stripped of $40 billion to help struggling state
and local governments.

The Bush administration is heading us towards more disaster with its 'toxic debt' bailout and destabilization of Pakistan and Iran. We can't afford to go down this road again. In this short video, Heather Wokusch provides background, context and ideas for taking action.

Links for sources cited in this video:

Bailout:

Crisis talks over $700B 'toxic debt' rescue plan

Now it's the Democrat's turn to start a war. Look at all of the congress-critters who have co-sponsored Senate resolution 580 and House resolution 362. Both of my senators are co-sponsors; one of them said he would "re-read" it after being confronted with the fact that an economic blockade is in fact an act of war. Clearly he signed on because AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) told him to (or else!). And both senators say they are "against" the Iraq war (even though they keep funding it). Congress supposedly went Democrat in 2006 because of opposition to the war, yet they also massively increased covert operations against Iran in preparation for war (http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/07/07/080707fa_fact_hersh). Please do everything you can to get this issue at the forefront of all issues, and lobby your representatives!

I cannot for the life of me understand why any Democrat would vote for warrantless wiretapping.

I can easily understand why every Republican would. Republicans fully support the Bush Dictatorship in every way, including imperialism, torture, corruption, and warrantless wiretapping. If George Bush took the completely opposite positions (as he did before the 2000 election), they would support him too. They don't think and have no principles, they blindly follow their Fuhrer Leader.

But why would any Democrat - including our party leaders?

At the Presidential polling blog FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver analyzed 31 vulnerable House Democrats in conservative-leaning seats, and found 23 voted for warrantless wiretapping, while 8 voted against. Nate observes,

I just got off the phone State Senator Regina Thomas, and I can't tell you how excited I am!

Thomas is running against BushDemocrat John Barrow in Georgia's 12th District in a primary on July 15, just 4 weeks away. Barrow voted with George Bush on every issue we track, including Iraq, Iran, habeas corpus, and wiretapping. His district is 45% black, yet he votes like a southern rightwing Republican.

This is what I sent to Mr. Udall, in response to his communication informing me why he will NOT proceed with Impeachment of Bush and Cheney. My message was blocked. Great job, Udall. Thank for NOT listening. But oh, can you sh-mooze if you want money.

 Read on Democrats.

 Mr. Udall,