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Blue Dog Pressure on FISA: "Conservative & Freshman Democrats Are Growing Skittish"
When Will Blue Dog Democrats Reject Their Liberal Leaders, Side With Their Constituents, & Sign the Discharge Petition
Washington
(May 1, 2008)
Earlier this year, 21 members of the moderate Democratic “Blue Dog” Coalition sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi supporting the bipartisan, Senate-passed FISA bill and urging her to bring it to the House floor for an up-or-down vote. The Speaker refused. So House Republicans introduced a discharge petition, to force the bill to the floor. Thus far, though, the Blue Dogs who said they supported the bipartisan FISA bill have yet to sign the petition – so they support protecting America, but not enough to risk displeasing the liberal Democratic Leadership?
With the issue coming to a head, some Blue Dogs appear to be thinking about signing the petition, according to this morning’s issue of The Hill:
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“Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.), the House Democrats’ point man in negotiations on an overhaul of intelligence surveillance law, is keeping his eye on conservative Blue Dog Democrats who might defect on the issue under Republican pressure.”
“The topic has reached a critical point because surveillance orders granted by the director of national intelligence and the attorney general under the authority of the Protect America Act begin to expire in August.”
“If Congress does not approve an overhaul of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) by Memorial Day, intelligence community officials will have to prepare dozens of individual surveillance warrants, a cumbersome alternative to the broader wiretapping authority granted by the Protect America Act, say congressional officials familiar with the issue.”
“Conservative and freshman Democrats are growing skittish. These lawmakers expect campaign opponents to accuse them of imperiling national security if Congress does not enact new intelligence surveillance legislation.”
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An editorial in today’s Washington Times calls the Blue Dogs to account by name:
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“The Blue Dog Coalition members — in particular those who signed the Jan. 28 letter — should stiffen their resolve. Following are the names of the 21 Blue Dog Democrats who signed the Pelosi letter but have failed to sign the discharge petition: Joe Baca (California); John Barrow (Georgia); Melissa Bean (Illinois); Marion Berry (Arkansas); Dan Boren (Oklahoma); Leonard Boswell (Iowa); Allen Boyd (Florida); Christopher Carney (Pennsylvania); Jim Cooper (Tennessee); Bud Cramer (Alabama); Lincoln Davis (Tennessee); Brad Ellsworth (Indiana); Tim Holden (Pennsylvania); Jim Matheson (Utah); Charlie Melancon (Louisiana); Dennis Moore (Kansas); Earl Pomeroy (North Dakota); Mike Ross (Arkansas); Heath Shuler (North Carolina); Zack Space (Ohio); and John Tanner (Tennessee).”
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With a deadline looming and the pressure on, the Blue Dog Democrats face a simple choice: Do they sign the petition and bring the bill to the floor, or sell out their constituents by continuing to kowtow to liberal leadership?
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