WASHINGTON (By Salena Zito, Tribune Review) November 29, 2006 — American politics have just entered the era of "the new middle ground," formerly known as triangulation. And that middle ground rightly is owned by House Democrats known as the Blue Dog Coalition.

Rep. Mike Ross of Arkansas is the Blue Dogs' communications co-chairman. He understands the appeal that Americans have for their ideology.

"The American people voted against Republicans on Nov. 7 and voted not for liberal Democrats but for conservative to moderate Democrats ... .

"The American people are counting on us to give them a new Democratic Party, one that more closely resembles their grandpa's party."

The public has tired of partisan bickering, he says. "They are looking to us to bridge the gap between the extremes of both parties and to bring our party back to the middle, because that is where America is and that is where the Blue Dogs are."

They are not going to be obstructionists but they are also not going to be a rubber stamp, he says.

"There are 44 of us," Ross said. "We are a cohesive listening group. Say an issue comes to the floor for a vote; we are certainly going to have a say in which ones pass and which ones do not."

Some bloggers refer to the Blue Dogs as the Democrats' "problem children." But Middle America accepted them.

"Eight of the nine newly elected Blue Dogs ... we call them puppies," said Ross, laughing. "(They) beat incumbent Republicans."

Keystone pup

One such "puppy" is Patrick Murphy, who will represent Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District. He was endorsed early on by the Blue Dogs; Murphy says he instantly was in tune with their approach to bringing "fiscal sense" to the budget process.

The Blue Dogs quickly are marking their spot in the forthcoming Democrat-led Congress. Steny Hoyer of Maryland had their unofficial backing for majority leader. And you would have to squint hard to find any Blue Dogs coming out in support of Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida for Intelligence chair.

Hastings was impeached by the House and convicted and removed from the federal bench by the Senate in a bribery case nearly 20 years ago. Eighteen of the 44 Blue Dogs signed a letter to Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi endorsing Pelosi nemesis and fellow Blue Dog Rep. Jane Harmon of California for the post.

The Blue Dogs indeed are making their mark.

"The Democratic Caucus is made up of all sorts of folks," says Bill Burton, communications director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). "Blue Dogs are the ones that pull the party toward the center in American politics.

"In a lot of ways the people were looking for representatives that looked like them."

Moving right

Why did the DCCC move to the right with these near-cousins of the Republican Party?

"Because we wanted to win," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, the DCCC's departing chairman who now will chair the caucus.

At the beginning of the Democrats' hunt for the majority, Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut became the victim of the party's fringe. Bloggers exercised their muscle and nationalized his primary race by introducing their prototype candidate, Ned Lamont.

The bloggers won the battle but lost the war. They, the netroots -- the grassroots Internet generations -- and the YouTubers -- fans of Internet videos -- gave the country the left; the Democrat establishment gave the country the center-right with Blue Dog candidates.

Chalk up one very big win for "The Establishment."