Blue Dogs Aren't Centrists, They're Greedy

She can't afford any more defections

(NEWSER) - A new survey of Democrats could mean a big political headache for Nancy Pelosi. The Hill rounds up 25 in the House who are expected to vote "no" on health care reform. Pelosi can afford no more than 37 defections, and the count doesn't include the 12 Stupak Democrats who are threatening to sink the bill over abortion language or members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus who might do the same over immigration provisions . More»

(NEWSER) - One of Barack Obama's top advisers during the campaign tells Politico he's "losing patience" with the White House and wants more "bold" leadership from the president on a host of issues including health care and gay rights. “I’m not going to just sit by the curb and let these folks get away with a lack of performance for the American people,” says Steve Hildebrand, the campaign's deputy manager who helped engineer key wins in Iowa and South Carolina. More»

Public health insurance option still splitting party after hectic summer break

(NEWSER) - House Democrats returned to work yesterday in the same position they were in before they spent their summer break getting an earful from the public, the Washington Post reports. House lawmakers are still expected to move first on the health care bill. But while broad support remains for some kind of health care overhaul, the split between moderates and liberals is as wide as ever on issues like the public health insurance option. More»

(NEWSER) - The Blue Dogs—the 52 fiscally conservative Democrats who have been fighting to kill health care reform proposals the industry doesn’t like—receive far more money from that industry than their non-coalition-member counterparts, the Washington Post reports. The reform push has been a boon for the lawmakers' ledgers; the group has set a record fundraising pace this year, beating all other congressional leadership PACs. More»

They're as out of touch as Republicans were in Bush years: Brooks

(NEWSER) - The Republican Party turned away from America during its years in power, writes New York Times columnist David Brooks, by paying more attention to echo-chamber media outlets and yes-men pollsters than voters. Now the Democrats are doing the same—instead of Southern conservatives, now it's left-wingers from the coasts who are leading a "liberal suicide march." Nancy Pelosi is even less popular than Dick Cheney, "and yet Democrats have allowed her policy values to carry the day." More»