Bones for Blue Dogs

On the job front, Reps. Allen Boyd of Florida, Charles Stenholm of Texas, Collin Peterson of Minnesota and Ralph Hall of Texas have reportedly received overtures about jobs at the departments of Agriculture and Energy in a Bush administration.

Not to be outdone, Vice President Al Gore asked his running mate, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Connecticut, and House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Missouri, to hold a conference call with the Blue Dogs in hopes of keeping their support while Gore carries out his legal challenges. That conference call Tuesday was followed by personal calls from Gephardt on Wednesday.

Many Blue Dogs -- particularly those from conservative districts in Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi -- reported receiving hundreds of phone calls and e-mails from Bush supporters urging them to ask Gore to concede. At this point, however, most of these Democrats said they are sticking by the vice president.

"It's logical for Bush to reach out to us," Boyd said. "But the phone-banking, demonstrations and orchestrated calls are having a polarizing effect."

Only Hall, the Texan who had endorsed Bush before the election, has broken ranks.

Rep. Martin Frost, a Texan who is a member of the Democratic leadership and not a Blue Dog, said Gephardt's overtures have worked.

"The caucus has been very united across the spectrum: conservatives, moderates and liberals working for a common legislative agenda. As long as Tom DeLay and Dick Armey keep taking outrageous positions, very few Democrats are going to cooperate," he said, referring to Republican leaders in the House.

Blue Dogs aim to be top dogs

But there may be more than party loyalty that's holding together the Democrats. An aide to one Blue Dog said some of these conservative Democrats may be using this opportunity to raise their profiles around the Capitol and to land plum committee assignments.

But, the aide insisted, Democratic leaders are not offering committee assignments in return for support of the vice president. "It's more subtle than that," the aide said, "but still in play."

Blue Dogs, many of whom are Southern, want to raise their profiles because they say they are tired of being shunned by their liberal Northeastern and West Coast brethren.

The Blue Dogs believe they will provide the Democrats with the majority in the House come 2002 and point to the three new Blue Dogs elected to the House this year.

On top of that, these conservative Democrats say they represent the party's contribution to what will be, along with moderate Republicans, the governing coalition in the 107th Congress.

Several pointed to their plan last year to tie a minimum wage hike with a small business tax cut as an example of their ability to legislate from a position of compromise.

And while several Blue Dogs said this week they differ with Bush on issues from tax cuts to prescription drug coverage, they will find a way to work with him if he's elected.

But they would rather work with Gore, they said.