Borosage Challenges Senate Would-Be "Blue Dogs"

WASHINGTON – Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage today denounced as “disgraceful” the plans of a group of Democratic senators led by Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., to slow, alter or stop progressive measures championed by President Barack Obama. Sen. Bayh announced the creation of a caucus that includes a dozen senators and “three or four others” who “don’t want to be publicly identified yet” this morning. Borosage says this group must be challenged if they do not support President Obama’s agenda.

Republicans, of course, have decided to be the party of "no," staking their future on President Obama's failure, but that isn't a surprise. More treacherous opposition comes from within the Democratic Party itself, from so-called "moderate" and conservative Democrats, particularly the Blue Dogs in the House and their cousins in the Senate who are working to block the changes that we need. House Blue Dogs threaten constantly to join with Republicans to cut vital investments and limit basic reforms. But it’s the Senate where the opposition is most damaging.

Sen. Bayh’s group wants to be called ‘moderate,’ but their complaints about President Obama’s policies are conservative complaints. The timing of this announcement makes it obvious that the group’s first priority seems to be to join with conservatives to weaken President Obama’s reforms.

Poll after poll shows that the American people support the Obama program to deliver health care for all, attack global warming, expand aid to schools, and restore tax fairness by shifting some of the burden from the middle class to the wealthy. Blue Dog Democrats who support conservative special interests over the voters who elected them should be challenged. It’s no wonder there are ‘three or four” senators who are part of this cabal but don’t want to be named – they’re smart enough to realize that the effort is disgraceful.