The tortuous congressional wrangling over health care reform has enhanced the public profile and the clout of the band of Democratic House moderates known as Blue Dogs.
The coalition, formed in 1994 in the wake of a Republican takeover of the House — and another attempt at health care overhaul — was formed by Democrats from the South and is still widely thought of as a Southern phenomenon. But five Pennsylvania Democrats, nearly half of the state’s Democratic congressional delegation, are members of the increasingly powerful caucus.
That’s more than any single Southern state’s roster on the 52-member group. That fact sheds light on the state’s potential impact on the signature issue of the Obama administration, and helps explain why Pennsylvania’s reputation and potential as a classic swing state endures despite five straight Democratic successes in capturing its electoral votes.
Beaver County Blue: Voice of the 17th CD of Progressive Democrats of America 