‘Blue Dog’ Democrats May Back GOP Issues

Excerpted from ‘Blue Dog’ Democrats May Back GOP Issues, published Nov 15, 2006, by NewsMax:

…Republicans “did not lose their seats to liberal Democrats” in last weeks elections, said Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark. “Republicans lost their seats to Blue Dog Democrats.”

…With the addition of nine newly elected freshmen, the Blue Dogs claim 44 members, nearly 20 percent of the incoming Democratic majority. They will be led by Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Fla., and include Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., in line to become the next Agriculture Committee chairman.

The Blue Dogs were formed in 1994 after Republicans swept the long-entrenched Democrats from power. They tend to be social conservatives on such issues as abortion. But their big issue is fiscal discipline – balancing the budget and reducing the federal debt.

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