Matt Stoller blogs about Democrat Bill Foster's special election campaign in IL-14 for the open seat vacated by Denny Hastert. For some unfathomable reason, Foster is embracing the Blue Dogs because he thinks they stand for "deficit reduction":

Paying down this debt must be the first order of business. I intend to work with the Blue Dog Democrats in congress -- a group dedicated to curing this by making the hard decisions necessary -- as well as any other groups that make deficit reduction their top priority. I'm sure that I'll be at odds with the Blue Dogs on more than a few issues - for example mortgage industry reform - but when it comes to deficit reduction, we all agree that we have to get our house in order.

Personally, I'm a rock-ribbed fiscal conservative - I don't want government at any level to waste a penny on anything.

And the most wasteful government expenditure in the history of the world is Iraq, which has cost $500 billion so far and will cost $3 trillion unless we bring our troops home.

Below are the 48 Blue Dogs. How many of them voted against the latest blank check for $70 Billion on 1/16/08? Exactly none.

Michael Arcuri NY24
Joe Baca CA43
John Barrow GA12
Melissa Bean IL08
Marion Berry AR01
Sanford Bishop GA02
Dan Boren OK02
Leonard Boswell IA03
Allen Boyd FL02
Dennis Cardoza CA18
Christopher Carney PA10
Ben Chandler KY06
Jim Cooper TN05
Jim Costa CA20
Bud Cramer AL05
Lincoln Davis TN04
Joe Donnelly IN02
Brad Ellsworth IN08
Gabrielle Giffords AZ08
Kirsten Gillibrand NY20
Bart Gordon TN06
Jane Harman CA36
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin SD00
Baron Hill IN09
Tim Holden PA17
Steve Israel NY02
Nick Lampson TX22
Tim Mahoney FL16
Jim Marshall GA08
Jim Matheson UT02
Mike McIntyre NC07
Charlie Melancon LA03
Michael Michaud ME02
Dennis Moore KS03
Patrick Murphy PA08
Collin Peterson MN07
Earl Pomeroy ND00
Mike Ross AR04
John Salazar CO03
Loretta Sanchez CA47
Adam Schiff CA29
David Scott GA13
Heath Shuler NC11
Zachary Space OH18
John Tanner TN08
Gene Taylor MS04
Mike Thompson CA01
Charles Wilson OH06

BlueDogs aren't fiscal conservatives - they are whores for the Military Industrial Complex.

And that's why they make me sick.