We Green Dogs Howl at the Losses of the Blue Dogs

The Center is a conservative environmental group and we call ourselves Green Dogs, utilizing a name similar to the Democratic Party Blue Dog Coalition.  We are extremely disappointed that the Blue Dog Coalition was cut in half, from 54 members to 23, during the midterm election. The 112th Congress will be ill-served by this significant reduction in the moderate voices in the Legislative Branch of the U.S. government. Blue Dogs have always been at odds with more liberal House Democratic leaders over fundamental policy issues.  The GOP has its Republicans In Name Only (RINO) and the Democratic Party has Blue Dogs.  The Center is a Green Dog in the environmental movement.

Their Republican opponents attacked them relentlessly for their ties to Pelosi, and many of the losers and the survivors opposed her successful bid to become minority leader in the new Congress. The election of moderate Democrats in many Republican-leaning districts in 2006 returned the House to Democratic control and Blue Dogs were the heavily wooed majority-makers on health-care reform, the stimulus, the cap-and-trade energy bill and other key Pelosi initiatives.

The Center believes passing energy legislation early in the 112th Congress is extremely important.  And while many conservatives have turned against Cap and Trade, the Center has been the only entity that has been consistent in supporting this market mechanism for fighting global warming.  As such, we are supporting the EPA push to regulate CO2 and other greenhouse gases.  (Wash Post, 11/19/2010)