Are the Blue Dogs Moderate?

No says Americans for Limited Government. They've done an analysis of what they call "some of the most controversial votes of 2009". Of these, 856 were Yea and only 207 were Nay. Of course, it's important to note that the "controversial votes" were entirely determined by ALG themselves.

Here's the votes they accounted for: 789 billion "stimulus", bankruptcy mortgage "cramdowns," ACORN funding, a $108 billion International Monetary Fund expansion, the Waxman-Markey carbon emission caps, the $2.1 trillion "public option" health system, the $154 billion assistance program for bankrupt states, and the $290 billion debt limit expansion.

This is being selective and it's without context but still the results are remarkable. The Blue Dogs are supposed to be moderate and certainly fiscally conservative. Nancy Pelosi is a San Francisco liberal. Many of these votes are some of her biggest pet projects and about 80% of the time they voted with Pelosi.

Incidentally, speaking of cap and trade...that's on life support.

Bruised by the health care debate and worried about what 2010 will bring, moderate Senate Democrats are urging the White House to give up now on any effort to pass a cap-and-trade bill next year.

“I am communicating that in every way I know how,” said Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), one of at least a half-dozen Democrats who've told the White House or their own leaders that it's time to jettison the centerpiece of their party's plan to curb global warming.

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