Blue Dogs Bark

REP. JOHN TANNER, chairman of the self-styled “Blue Dog Democrats,” has a colorful way of describing the influence he hopes his group of moderate lawmakers will have in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s House. “They’ll have to talk to us on the tarmac rather than asking us to jump 30,000 feet to catch the plane after it’s left,” says Tanner in his Tennessee drawl. “If they want our help, I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”

What he means is that the new Democratic leaders, dominated by true-blue liberals like Pelosi, won’t really control the House: To get anything done, they’ll need to consult with more moderate Democrats like Tanner and the Blue Dogs. It’s a matter of simple numbers. Come January, there will be 232 Democrats in the House, and 44 of them will be Blue Dogs (maybe more, since a few other Democrats are said to be hoping to join). Take the Blue Dogs away, and Democrats are well short of the 218 votes needed for a majority.

About the Author

Byron York

Byron York is a former White House correspondent for National Review.

Featured Tags

House of Representatives

REP. JOHN TANNER, chairman of the self-styled “Blue Dog Democrats,” has a colorful way of describing the influence he hopes his group of moderate lawmakers will have in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s House. “They’ll have to talk to us on the tarmac rather than asking us to jump 30,000 feet to catch the plane after it’s left,” says Tanner in his Tennessee drawl. “If they want our help, I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”

What he means is that the new Democratic leaders, dominated by true-blue liberals like Pelosi, won’t really control the House: To get anything done, they’ll need to consult with more moderate Democrats like Tanner and the Blue Dogs. It’s a matter of simple numbers. Come January, there will be 232 Democrats in the House, and 44 of them will be Blue Dogs (maybe more, since a few other Democrats are said to be hoping to join). Take the Blue Dogs away, and Democrats are well short of the 218 votes needed for a majority.