Primer: Congressional Progressive Caucus, Blue Dog Coalition and New Democrat Coalition

[merrily]

Last edited Sat May 30, 2015, 02:10 AM - Edit history (1)

A portion of the money received by the Congressional Progressive Caucus ends up supporting Blue Dog and New Democrat politicians in the House, via the DCCC.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12778505


Unless otherwise indicated, the info in this post comes from these sources.

website of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, also referred to as the House Progressive Caucus http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/

wikipedia of Congressional Progressive Caucus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Progressive_Caucus

website of the Blue Dog Coalition http://bluedogcaucus-schrader.house.gov/

wikipedia of the Blue Dog Coalition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Dog_Coalition

website of the New Democrat Coalition http://newdemocratcoalition-kind.house.gov/

wikipedia of the New Democrat Coalition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Democrat_Coalition



CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS


The current co-chairs of the CPC are Raúl Grijalva of Arizona and Keith Ellison of Minnesota. Current members of the CPC are listed here:
http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=71§iontree=2,71

The Congressional Progressive Caucus was founded in 1991, the same year one Bernie Sanders first became a member of the House. The CPC's website says he was the convener and chair of the caucus. Indeed, he was chair for the first 8 years of the existence of the Caucus. I am not entirely sure what is meant by "convener," but I am guessing that the CPC was Bernie's idea.

The founding CPC members were concerned about the economic hardship imposed by the deepening recession, and the growing inequality brought about by the timidity of the Democratic Party response in the early 1990s. More importantly, on January 3, 1995 at a standing room only news conference on Capitol Hill, they were the first group inside Congress to chart a detailed, comprehensive legislative alternative to U.S. Speaker Newt Gingrich and the Republican Contract with America, which they termed "the most regressive tax proposals and reactionary social legislation the Congress had before it in 70 years." The CPC's ambitious agenda was framed as "The Progressive Promise: Fairness."

(Note: This is what DeBlasio professes to be doing 20 years later, formulating a progresssive alternative to the Republican Contract with America.)

The 1995 legislative package was the Job Creation and Invest in America Act, described here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Progressive_Caucus

I strongly encourage you to check out the particulars of this at the wiki.

Originally, the CPC consisted of U.S. Representatives Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Thomas Andrews (D-ME), Ron Dellums (D-CA), Lane Evans (D-IL), Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Maxine Waters (D-CA). It is now the largest Democratic Caucus in Congress, with 70 members. Of the 20 standing committees of the House in the 111th Congress, 10 were chaired by members of the CPC, until Republicans took control of the House in 2011.
(I guess DU is not the only place where liberals abound, after all.)

After Sanders became a Senator in 2007, he continued to caucus with the CPC. He is the sole Senate member of the CPC, the Senate being a much more conservative body than the House. (I would not be surprised if Senator Senators tried, but failed, to found a Senate Progressive Caucus. In any event, when you see that any given Senator is ranked among the Senate's most liberal Senators, remember how conservative a body the US Senate is, even on the Democratic side.)

In 2008, I recall membership being around 100, so 70 is actually a significant drop. I would attribute at least part of the drop to my opinion that the Party has been hostile to traditional Democrats and liberals, tending to support centrists and conservadems. The reason I remember is that all, or just about all, 100 were co-sponsors of the Medicare for all bill.

Several traditional Democrats and liberals have been pretty much run out of Congress. Rangel, for example, remained under Congressional investigation and Obama suggestd on national TV that Rangel resign, too. For example, Rangel had remained under internal investigation for THREE successive elections, but was re-elected each time anyway. Then, the head of his Party suggested on national TV that he (Rangel) resign. (The current claim is that Warren, who has almost folk hero status among we hoi polloi, is the Party's darling. I hope so, but I would not take that to the bank just yet.)

After Sanders became a Senator in 2007, he continued to caucus with the CPC. He is the sole Senate member of the CPC, the Senate being a much more conservative body than the House. (I would not be surprised if Senator Senators tried, but failed, to found a Senate Progressive Caucus. In any event, when you see that any given Senator is ranked among the Senate's most liberal Senators, remember how conservative a body the US Senate is, even on the Democratic side.)

My criticism of the CPC, which I know others share, is that it tends to start out with a firm stand on the side of the angels (in my opinion), but then just goes along with the rest of the Democrats in Congress.

I encourage you to peruse the CPC's wiki and website, esp. the home page of the website, which has current news. If you wish to be kept up to date, you can also sign up to receive emails. If nothing else, read the Progressive Promise (Fairness for All page. http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/the-progressive-promise/


THE BLUE DOG COALITION


With fifteen members currently, the Blue Dog Coalition is the smallest of the three groups. It is also probably the furthest right of the three groups.

The Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995, after the mid-term election of 1994 put Republicans in charge of both Houses of Congress for the first time in 42 years (1952, when World War II hero Eisenhower had been elected the first Republican President in 20 years). However the website of the Blue Dog Coalition describes that as a mid-term election.

The term "Blue Dog Democrat" is credited to Texas Democratic Rep. Pete Geren (who later joined the Bush Administration). Geren opined that the members had been "choked blue" by extreme Democrats from the Left.[14] It is related to the political term "Yellow Dog Democrat," a reference to southern Democrats said to be so loyal they would even vote for a yellow dog if it were labeled Democrat. The term is also a reference to the "Blue Dog" paintings of Cajun artist George Rodrigue of Lafayette, Louisiana, as the original members of the coalition would regularly meet in the offices of Louisiana representatives Billy Tauzin and Jimmy Hayes, both of whom later joined the Republican Party; both had Rodrigue's paintings on their walls.[15][16] An additional explanation for the term cited by members is "when dogs are not let into the house, they stay outside in the cold and turn blue," a reference to the Blue Dogs' belief they had been left out of a party that they believed had shifted to the political left.[17]

........

Although its membership is not exclusively Southern, some[18][19] view the Blue Dogs as the political successors to a now defunct-in-name Southern Democratic group known as the Boll Weevils, who played a critical role in the early 1980s by supporting President Ronald Reagan's tax cut plan. The Boll Weevils, in turn, may be considered the descendants of the Dixiecrats and the "states' rights" Democrats of the 1940s through the 1960s, and even the Bourbon Democrats of the late 19th century.[20]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Dog_Coalition

Blanche Lincoln and Gary Condit were among the more famous founding members. Joe Manchin and Ben Nelson were also members at one time.

The founding principles of the Blue Dog Coalition, that continue to guide the caucus today, are forever enshrined in its preamble: “Members of the Blue Dog Coalition are dedicated to the financial stability and national security of the country, notwithstanding partisan political positions and personal fortune and do hereby agree to organize a Coalition to serve the interests of our country.”

http://bluedogcaucus-schrader.house.gov/about/history


NEW DEMOCRAT COALITION


The current chair of the New Democrat Coalition is the controversial Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, who is also the current chair of the Democratic National Committee, having succeeded fellow New Democrat, Tim Kaine.

According to its website, it currently has 46 members. http://newdemocratcoalition-kind.house.gov/membership

If you are wondering what a New Democrat is, a New Democrat is basically a Democrat who espouses the philosophy of the now defunct (in theory) DLC and its successors, such as the Progressive Policy Institute, New Democrat Network, Third Way, Center for American Progress, No Labels and so on.

Bill Clinton ran as a New Democrat, while claiming, falsely, IMO, that Robert Kennedy was a New Democrat (philosophically). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Democrats (Scott Brown did something similar in Massachusetts when he first ran, portraying himself as an ideological successor to JFK.)

Obama did not run as a New Democrat, but claimed to be a New Democrat after he was elected the first time. After he was elected the second time, he said that he would have been considered a moderate Republican during the Reagan Era.

So, now you know.

The New Democrat Coalition was founded in 1997 by Representatives Cal Dooley (California), Jim Moran (Virginia) and Timothy J. Roemer (Indiana) as a congressional affiliate of the avowedly centrist Democratic Leadership Council, whose members, including former President Bill Clinton, call themselves "New Democrats."

......

The Senate New Democrat Coalition was founded in the spring of 2000 by Senators Evan Bayh (Indiana), Bob Graham (Florida), Mary Landrieu (Louisiana), Joe Lieberman (Connecticut), and Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas).[8]



The NDC has worked to craft and pass legislation, including Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) for the People's Republic of China, fast track Trade Promotion Authority, digital signatures, and H-1B visa reform and continues to work on matters such as privacy, broadband, expanding e-learning opportunities and making government more accessible and efficient through the use of technology. Many in the Democratic Party's left-wing criticize the group, however, accusing it of ignoring social justice and the poor.

......

Political donations

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the top contributors to the New Democrat Coalition caucus members are the finance, insurance and real estate industries.[10] The Center also reported that the New Democrat Coalition receives a considerable amount of cash from the financial sector and since 1989 members of the New Democrat Coalition have collected $50 million from the finance, insurance and real estate sector.[11]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Democrat_Coalition

Zell Miller was once a member of the NDC. I guess that was before he decided he was star speaker at the Republican National Convention. So was then Senator John Kerry and, of course, then Senator Hillary Clinton. So was John Edwards, who also ran as a populist in a Presidential primaries. (I guess John had a residence in both of the Two Americas?) The wiki lists more former members.




This post is intended only an introduction to three of the groups that influence our lives so greatly. Please continue your study beyond this overview.

[Scuba]

1. Googling for "Hillary", "Obama" and "Congressional Progressive Caucus budget" is instructive ...

... and should be a required action for any claiming that either Hillary or Obama is "progressive."

[merrily]

2. Thank you. Can you give us a sentence or two? (I find some DUers

quite resistant to googling.)

[djean111]

4. I don't think they are resistant, so much as they are using the usual thread-jacking methods.

Demanding links, then trashing the sources, and then just devolving into ROFL smilies. Annoying, but a bit entertaining, oddly enough. Not to be taken seriously. Make me wonder if there is some sort of word or comment count involved.

[merrily]

5. True, but how many times have you seen posts like "Anyone know XYZ?"

And some DUer will be nice enough to do the questioner's googling for them and post a link.

I'll even do it myself, if it's something I care about. Other times, I just resist the temptation to reply, "Mr. Google is your friend."

[djean111]

6. Oh, I have replied with exactly that phrase. Now I just ignore whoever does it.

I figure too dumb or lazy to Google, too dumb and lazy to understand the results. Or just trolling.

[djean111]

3. The New Democrat Coalition is waaay over my red line or line in the sand or whatever.

They are unabashedly DINOs. No votes from me, for them. I live in Florida, so that counts. Just a tiny tiny bit, of course.
Yeah, Patrick Murphy is a liberal. Right. Pun intended. Just switched to Dem, in 2011 or thereabouts, just to run against Allen West. And people think they sound sane, maundering on about Liz Warren switching twenty years ago.

[merrily]

7. I still say Hillary didn't switch parties until she met Bill.

The speech she gave when she was graduated from college supposedly dissed Senator Brooke (R), but I found that speech online once and it did no such thing.

[NYC_SKP]

11. She never switched, not in her soul. She and Bill are corporatists, plain and simple.

And their work on behalf of women and GLBT, etc., done just as a matter of strategic positioning.

[Enthusiast]

8. Debbie Wasserman Schultz isn't controversial to me.

I want her out! No controversy.

[merrily]

10. I feel your pain. Yet, she is the face and voice of the DNC.

On the bright side, she seems smarter than Kaine.

[Paka]

14. Amen to that.

I have no fondness for her.

[Enthusiast]

9. New Democrat just means they have betrayed the traditional interests of the Democratic Party.

You can find the same thing in your grocery isle. When you see a product labeled "New and Improved" it proves to have been obviously cheapened in some tangible way. Same thing. The name is marketing.

New Democrats are trickle down Democrats. They're free trade Democrats. They're deregulation Democrats. They're for cuts to the New Deal programs. They're anti-labor Democrats. In other words, they're not Democrats at all, they're Republicans.

Never vote for New Democrat.

[merrily]

12. They tried to take over the party after Nixon beat McGovern. They succeeded after

Reagan swept.

They created the meme that liberals cannot win elections. Massachusetts went for Reagan. I am not sure if it did so both times, but it did so for sure the second time. Yet, Massachusetts returned the liberal lion to the Senate for decades, until he died.

Reagan's name recognition, and weekly visits to American living rooms for years, courtesy of GE, were factors. So was his "stage presence." And his tenure as head of the Screen Actors Guild, not to mention his advocacy for traditional Democrats, like Truman.

And then, there was the Eagleton thing and many other factors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_McGovern#1972_presidential_campaign

But, no, let's just pretend that the one and only reason that Reagan defeated McGovern was that McGovern was liberal. That makes it ever so much easier to persuade ambitious politicians to take the party, and therefore the country, to the fucking right.

[Enthusiast]

13. This nation has allowed the Right to define reality ever since.

Sometimes it can get downright crazy.

[merrily]

15. The nation's right always allowed the right to define reality.

After the DLC/New Democrats took control of the Party, however, Democrats stopped checking the right. And we, Democratic voters, did nothing to check Democratic politicians. I am not entirely sure what we could have done.

Speaking only for myself, I was clueless that the party had been taken over, so I didn't even know there was a need to do anything. I am ashamed of that, and it's not an excuse, but it's the truth.

[Enthusiast]

16. I was clueless too. I was just aware enough to know that I did not like Clinton's support of NAFTA.

I was disturbed by Gramm-leach-Bliley. But that's about all. Now I see it was only the beginning.

[merrily]

17. Many people on both the left and the right are still clueless.

They think a Democrat is a Democrat, full stop. Some of them know that voting for Democrats.

[merrily]

18. New Democrat means they don't want to be associated with Democrats like FDR and Truman, both of whom

make the 10 best Presidents ever lists of both Republican historians and Democratic historians, though I imagine Republican historians put them on there more for World War II and their anti-Communism sentiments in general, than for the New Deal and the Fair Deal.

[sabrina 1]

19. Excellent OP. We have to focus on the Senate and House elections as well as the WH.

Bernie will need a Progressive Congress when he enters the WH.

The voters have been speaking their minds with their votes over the past two mid terms. Naturally the New Dem leadership has chosen to 'BLAME THE VOTERS'.

Every poll shows that voters reject the policies of these New Dems and support Progressive Policies.

With Bernie leading the way and so many enthusiastic volunteers working for him already, I am hoping the people will chose who to put in power not just in the WH, but in the Senate and the House.

Thank you for this information, it is very important to see where the Dem Party began to go wrong.

[merrily]

20. Thank you. I expect the Massachusetts delegation to stay the same.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_congressional_delegations_from_Massachusetts

I think Bernie formed the Progressive Caucus as soon as he hit Congress because he knew.

It's interesting that the Progressive Caucus, even in its reduced size, is larger than the New Democrat Coalition.