Harry Mitchell meets with centrist and conservative Blue Dog Dems

From The Christian Science Monitor article, Harry Mitchell continues to prepare to be a good representative for CD-5:

Congress's pragmatic newcomers
Capitol Hill freshmen promise practicality over party loyalty.

From time to time, a freshman class in Congress leaves its mark on Capitol Hill. There were the reform-minded Watergate babies of 1974. More recently came the GOP insurgent "citizen legislators" of '94.

Now, the class of '06, too, has been elected on a surge of voter discontent, and although the new class isn't as big as those two, it has the potential to leave its own stamp.

If interviews with incoming freshmen are any indication, that mark will be pragmatism first, even at the expense of party loyalty, and a get-things-done sensibility.

...For many Democrats elected in previously staunch Republican districts, that means paying closer attention to the mood of constituents than falling in lockstep with national Democratic Party leadership that tends to be more liberal.

That was the thinking behind incoming Democratic Rep. Harry Mitchell's decision to attend a Blue Dog caucus last week.

"I met with the Blue Dogs. It's not what I am, but it fits my district" in Arizona, Mr. Mitchell says.

It's encouraging to see that Harry Mitchell is actively engaging a broad spectrum of ideology in order to better represent his district. Folks here range from extremely liberal to extremely conservative, with a lot of moderates, as well. Regardless of Harry's personal ideology, he will have to represent us all. It looks like he's starting off on the right foot.

More about the Blue Dog Democrats, here.

(Hat tip to Plugged In for the link.)