So who is meeting with Bush this week by request? Blue Dogs and New Dems.

[madfloridian]

Are they the only ones he cares about meeting with? Why not the Progressive Caucus? Why not just ask the Democratic congressional leaders to send representatives to meet with him?

Here the post from Atrios about it.
Let's Party

President Bush has invited leaders of the conservative Blue Dog and New Democrat coalitions to the White House Friday to discuss areas of “mutual cooperation” in the words of one Democratic Congressional aide.

Well, I know the answer already to why he just invited those two groups. They are the ones he is going to try and turn to his way of thinking for the next two years. I hope he doesn't succeed.

So I made a list of the members of those two groups, because I don't trust them since they begged Hastert to bring the Bankruptcy Bill up for a vote.

Lists of the Blue Dog and New Dem Coalitions plus new members

Here are the lists of both groups without the new ones included.

House New Democrat Coalition
(I know you can subtract Jim Davis, Ed Case, and Harold Ford from the list, I don't know who else lost)

I put asterisks nest to the names of those in both groups.

NDC Membership
Ellen Tauscher (CA), Chair*
Ron Kind (WI), Co-Chair
Artur Davis (AL), Co-Chair
Adam Smith (WA), PAC Chair
Joseph Crowley (NY), Whip

Brian Baird (WA)
John Barrow (GA) *
Melissa Bean (IL)
Shelley Berkeley (NV)
Lois Capps (CA)
Russ Carnahan (MO)
Ed Case (HI) *
Ben Chandler (KY)
Henry Cuellar (TX)
Jim Davis (FL)
Susan Davis (CA)
Rahm Emanuel (IL)
Eliot Engel (NY)
Bob Etheridge (NC)
Harold Ford (TN) *
Charles Gonzalez (TX)
Jane Harman (CA) *
Stephanie Herseth (SD)*
Brian Higgins (NY)
Rush Holt (NJ)
Darlene Hooley (OR)
Jay Inslee (WA)
Steve Israel (NY)
Rick Larsen (WA)
John Larson (CT)
Carolyn McCarthy (NY)
Mike McIntyre (NC) *
Kendrick Meek (FL)
Gregory Meeks (NY)
Charlie Melancon (LA)
Juanita Millender-McDonald (CA)
Dennis Moore (KS) *
Jim Moran (VA)
David Price (NC)
Loretta Sanchez (CA)
Adam Schiff (CA)
Allyson Schwartz (PA)
David Scott (GA) *
Vic Snyder (AR)
Tom Udall (NM)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL)
David Wu (OR)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Blue Dog Coalition

Blue Dogs

Jim Matheson
John Tanner
Jim Cooper
Allen Boyd
Dennis Cardoza
Lincoln Davis
Steve Israel
David Scott *
Stephanie Herseth *
Ed Case *
Leonard Boswell
Ken Salazar
Ellen Tauscher*
Marion Berry
Sanford Bishop
Bud Cramer
Collin Peterson
Jim Costa
Mike Thompson
Harold Ford, Jr*
Dennis Moore *
John Barrow *
Mike Ross
Mike Michaud
Joe Baca
Jane Harman *
Mike McIntye *

And here are the new members of both groups with asterisks * beside those who are in both groups.

Here are the new members of the Blue Dogs and New House Dems

New members of House Dem Coalition.
Gabby Giffords (AZ-8)
- Michael Arcuri (NY-24)*
- Ed Perlmutter (CO-07)
- Joe Courtney (CT-02)
- Ron Klein (FL-22)
- Tim Mahoney (FL-16)*
- Joe Sestak (PA-07)
- Heath Shuler (NC-11)*
- Bruce Braley (IA-01)
- Chris Carney (PA-10)
- Nick Lampson (TX-22)
- Jason Altmire (PA-04)
- Kristin Gillibrand (NY-20)*
- Baron Hill (IN-09)
- Chris Murphy (CT-5)
- Patrick Murphy (PA-8)} *

New Blue Dogs...

Heath Schuler*
Tim Mahoney*
Patrick Murphy *
Kristin Gillibrand*
Brad Ellsworth
Joe Donelly
Michael Arcuri*
Charlie Wilson

Any additions or corrections welcomed.

[acmejack]

1. I believe Jim Hightower put it best

"Ain't nothin' in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos"

[madfloridian]

4. Yep, you are right.

I get Jim Hightower's newsletters, and I really enjoy them.

[flpoljunkie]

2. Appearances do matter, and this stinks! What does Bush mean by "areas of mutual cooperation?"

[madfloridian]

3. Here are the letters the two coalitions wrote to Hastert

to please bring the bankruptcy bill to a vote soon.

The letter from the New Dems with the comments from the leaders:
http://www.tnr.com/etc.mhtml?pid=2584

"I'm pleased to see so many New Democrats band together in calling for a mainstream solution to bankruptcy reform. I hope Speaker Hastert will heed our calls and move promptly to bring this legislation to the floor soon," said Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher.

"This bankruptcy bill strikes an equitable balance between essential protections and responsible reform necessary to curb abuses of the current code by people with the financial means to pay their debt," stated Rep. Kind. "As champions of both personal and fiscal responsibility, New Democrats supported bankruptcy reform in the past,and we stand ready to adopt this common-sense measure when it comes to the floor of the House."

"The bankruptcy legislation needs to be brought to the House floor," said U.S. Rep. Adam Smith. "Personal responsibility is an important value that must be part of our public policy. This legislation ensures that Americans must make good on their commitments while also protecting those who truly need help under Chapter 7 bankruptcy laws."

"Bankruptcy is an option that ruins credit and homeownership opportunities for too many Americans," said Rep. Artur Davis. "This legislation will deter bankruptcies that are unnecessary and ill considered, while still permitting a fair second chance for low-to-moderate income consumers who face financial hardship. Individual consumers and businesses will benefit from a more streamlined bankruptcy system."

They have not been that worried about the worst offenders, corporations who declare bankruptcy.

The Blue Dog letter is in pdf format.
http://www.abiworld.org/pdfs/bluedog.pdf

As members of the Blue Dog Coalition, we are writing to express our strong support for enacting HR 685/S256, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. Blue Dogs voted overwhelmingly to pass bankruptcy reform during the 108th Congress, and have endorsed passage of HR 685 this year. We stand ready to work with you to ensure that bankruptcy reform becomes a reality during this session of Congress.

The number of personal bankruptcy filings has skyrocketed in recent years. Estimates show that personal bankruptcy rates increased 400% over the last twenty years. The proliferation of bankruptcy
filings has resulted in major financial losses and could have significant adverse effect on our nation’s
economy.

We all can agree that it is important to provide protections for consumers in debt and those with legitimate bankruptcy claims; however, the current system is broken. An overhaul of the bankruptcy
code is needed to ensure that those with the means to pay at least some of their debts are not able to wipe their debts clean by gaming the system. Allowing bankruptcy to become a financial planning tool
rather than a last resort forces many of our constituents who pay their debts to pay for those who do not.

In closing, we encourage you to expedite consideration of this legislation in the House of Representatives. We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to working with you to
ensure passage of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act as quickly as possible.

Here are some of the worst parts of the bill, not all, just some.

"Guess what is NOT in the bankruptcy bill. There is a lack of exemptions for the ill, the disabled, the elderly who might have large bills from ill health....nothing to protect their homes and cars.

It does not exempt debtors whose financial problems were caused by serious medical problems from means testing. It does not provide protection for medical debt homeowners. Homes and cars could be lost under this new plan if you have medical problems.

It does not preserve existing bankruptcy protections for
individuals experiencing economic distress as caregivers to ill or disabled family members.

There is no provision to insure elderly people in financial trouble who seek bankruptcy could keep their homes. Republicans voted down a provision for it, and 3 Democrats from states with big credit card industries joined them.

Making the minimum payment on a credit card can often cause you to go
further in debt with the credit card company. An amendment was voted down by all Republicans and a few Democrats that would have required this disclosure on the danger of minimum payments.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/699