Madisonian Politics and Party Factions

4-I:

• Ideas
• Interests 
• Institutions
• Individuals

Reviewing the polarization story:

• PIE polarization
• POG polarization
• Polarization of districts
• Graphic
• Polarization of districts

Voting on the Floor

• CQ: Voting alignments in Congress
• National Journal: Ideology and party in Congress
• The fading of the Blue Dogs
• Iraq vote in House and Senate

Alex Roarty writes at National Journal (compare to Connelly, ch. 2):

Bracing for a rough midterm-election outcome, Democrats aren't waiting until Election Day to start blaming one another for the party's problems. Anticipating the possibility that Republicans will flip the Senate, the finger-pointing game is already underway between the party's warring factions.

Earlier this month, Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas argued liberals had successfully purged so-called squishy moderates from the Democratic Party's ranks—even if those same lawmakers had helped the party retain conservative-leaning Senate and House seats. From the middle, the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way has become more outspoken in criticizing progressive leaders, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, for advocating an agenda that will compromise the party's ability to attract moderate voters.

The public spats between outside groups are nothing compared with the private finger-pointing over who could be responsible if Republicans ride a political wave this year. The moderate wing is prepared to blame the party for avoiding centrist initiatives like free-trade deals and entitlement reform, while the Left will argue party leaders didn't do enough to protect benefits.