Leader of "Blue Dogs" in House Says Dems Are "fractured"

From today's edition of Roll Call:

Newly elected House Democratic leaders vowed to quickly reunify their Caucus in the wake of a bitter leadership contest last week, but offered few details and left some rank-and-file Members questioning how the party will mend its divisions as it prepares to take control of the chamber in the 110th Congress.

“We’ve had our debates. We’ve had our disagreements in that room, but now that is over,” Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) said Thursday following a closed-door meeting at which Democrats elected Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md.) to be Majority Leader, defeating Pelosi’s close ally and preferred candidate, Rep. John Murtha (Pa.).

But at least a few Democratic lawmakers remained angry Thursday over allegedly heavy-handed tactics employed by Murtha supporters in the contest, and others publicly suggested that House leaders could have a difficult time alleviating any lingering bruises.

“I think the Caucus is fractured,” Rep. Allen Boyd (Fla.), who will be a co-chairman of the Democratic Blue Dog Coalition in the 110th Congress, said Thursday, adding, Pelosi’s “biggest challenge is figuring out how to wrap her arms around all the Caucus.”

Local political cartoonist Jason Folkerts also has a fitting cartoon:  "What we know is that she [Rep. Herseth] is a self proclaimed blue dog democrat (meaning: the very liberal Pelosi team/agenda is going to keep her on a short leash when it comes to commonsense legislation)."