Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Gene Kennedy ReportingWith Democrats controlling Congress and a Republican in the White House, you may be asking, how is anything going to get done?
A group of moderate Democrats hopes to bridge the great divide. This group has been around for a while, but for some it's new. The reason is that Democrats have been in the minority for years.
With this major change in power in Washington, you may be hearing about this organization a little more, just as we did Tuesday night.
After the applause came the interviews, and re-elected Congressman Jim Matheson dropped a name you may have never heard before.
Rep. Jim Matheson, (D) Utah: "I'm part of a group called the Blue Dog Coalition."
It's an organization of conservative Democrats, all in the House of Representatives. Utah Democrats are trying to recruit more of them.
Wayne Holland, Chairman, Utah Democratic Party: "We have a very dedicated group of mainstream democrats that fit very well with what's happening in the Rocky Mountain states."
Rep. Jim Matheson, (D) Utah: "The Blue Dogs are going to have a seat at the table. It's not going to be Nancy Pelosi setting the agenda. It's going to be the Blue Dogs setting the agenda."
Key to that agenda is fiscal responsibility. Blue dogs are rabid budget balancers. They highlight on their website the country's 8-trillion dollar debt.
Rep. Jim Matheson, (D) Utah: "It's unconscionable. We're going to balance this budget."
The Blue Dog name came from the idea that fiscally conservative Democrats were being "choked blue" by ideological Democrats and Republicans. So in 1995, the coalition was born.
Before Tuesday's big victory, there were 37 Democrats in the coalition. There are now 46. But in total, there are 234 Democrats in the House, and some Republicans think the dogs will be barking at their own party the most to get things done.
Jeff Hartley, Exec. Dir., Utah Republican Party: "If Matheson and the other moderates have the clout to force their party leaders to stay moderate, then actually it will be an asset. But what you may see is that these people have been in the minority since 1994. They're bitter. They're happy. And they'll be driving liberal agendas."
The reason the Blue Dog Coalition grew Tuesday night is because the organization endorsed several candidates while they were campaigning.
