Sniff. Boo hoo:
Centrist Democrats have had “no communication” with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi since the start of the 112th Congress, one of the leaders of the Blue Dog Coalition said Monday.
Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), who challenged Pelosi for the leadership spot, said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that “there’s been really no communication whatsoever” between his group and the California Democrat. “We still have not had the connection between the Blue Dog members and the leadership.”
And more:
"It's very rare that she would come to any of our meetings, and have conversation," Shuler said of Pelosi, adding that Democrats feel more comfortable having Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) or Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn (S.C.) visit their districts.
Of course, that turns out maybe not to be true:
Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) was wrong to suggest Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) doesn't reach out to centrists, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Tuesday.
Hoyer, Pelosi's No. 2 in the House Democratic Caucus, took exception to Shuler's statement Monday that Pelosi has "no communication whatsoever" with members of the centrist Blue Dog coalition.
"I really don't think his characterization of Nancy, in terms of reaching out, is correct," Hoyer said on MSNBC. "Perhaps she doesn't have the personal relationship with them — that might be accurate — but she does reach out."
Gosh, I wonder why Pelosi doesn't go to a lot of Blue Dog meetings. Could it have anything to do with things like this?
Blue Dog Democrats might support a plan from House Republicans to cut $32 billion in discretionary spending this year, a spokesman for the fiscally conservative bloc said Monday.
Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) said the Blue Dogs are waiting to see the details of the proposed GOP cuts before taking a position. The draft legislation from the House Appropriations Committee is due on Thursday.
Yeah, why won't the Democratic Leader go to more meetings where the minority faction of the party plots to defect to the other side over a budget plan they haven't actually seen yet?
Listen, one of the founding principles of the Blue Dogs is that they maximize their power by voting or threatening to vote as a bloc in opposition to the Democratic leadership. It should be understood that the Blue Dogs -- at least when in the majority -- actually calibrate the size of their caucus such that it's capable of thwarting Democratic initiatives unless they get their ransom. That's how they differentiate themselves, that's how they make the headlines ("Dems in disarray!"), and that's how they wield what little power they have left. When they were part of the majority party, that mattered a little more. You could stop things from happening unless you were granted concessions. As part of a minority, they're not so interesting, since things the majority wants are going to happen with or without them. But if your club is all about showing how much you hate the leadership ruggedly independent you are, you can't really expect anyone to care when you cry that they won't come to your Tupperware parties.
Case in point: Here's a Republican budget plan that hasn't even been written down yet, and the Blue Dogs are already threatening to defect and vote for it. Presumably because it, like, sounds totally awesome.
And this is all somehow part of their ongoing desire to "be taken seriously."
Yeah, hello.
