At the beginning of 2009 - Democrats went to work in Washington, DC with a mandate from the American people. Barack Obama just won a landslide election for the presidency - and progressives swept into Congress with huge majorities both in the House and the Senate. The American people wanted change - and bought what the Democrats were selling: healthcare reform - energy reform - and a new “New Deal”.

But there was one group of Democrats who didn’t get the memo… the Blue Dogs. Coming from mostly Conservative states - the Blue Dogs made a calculated political maneuver to sabotage the progressive agenda in the hopes of winning re-election in 2010.

It wasn’t about doing what’s best for America - it was about bringing in the corporate campaign contributions to be re-elected in 2 years.

So - just like the Republicans - the Blue Dogs opened their office doors to lobbyists from Wall Street - Big Oil - and the Health Insurance industry and said, “What would you like me to do for you?”

From that point on - most of the 52 members of the Blue Dog caucus set out watering down or blocking altogether every single piece of progressive legislation introduced over the course of the 111th Congress.

Unlike the Republican caucus where majority rule wins - the Blue Dogs figured they could get their way even though they were in the minority.

And they were right…they whittled down the Stimulus package - they killed off the public option - they saved big polluters from tax increases - and they ensured that banks on Wall Street remained “too big to fail”.

And when it was all said and done - they accomplished what they set out to do - stop the progressive agenda in its tracks

But did it pay off politically like they hoped it would?

No.. No caucus took more of a hit in last year’s elections than the Blue Dogs - with half of their membership - 26 out of 52 - getting the boot in the midterms. The old saying holds true - when voters have a choice between a Republican and a Democrat who acts like a Republican - they’ll choose the Republican every time.

So it's time to put to rest this idea that acting like a Republican wins elections - it doesn't - it's time to fire all the Blue Dog political consultants - right?

Well...not exactly.

It turns out most of the Blue Dogs weren't playing politics at all when they were acting like Republicans - they were simply training for their next job AFTER Congress - their next job as a corporate lobbyist. Nearly a third of the Blue Dogs who were kicked out of office last year - walked right through that revolving door on Capitol Hill - and got a lobbying gig on K Street.

Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin from South Dakota - the Chair of the Blue Dog caucus - took a job with the lobbying firm "Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz" - that - according to it's website - lobbies on behalf drug - healthcare - and energy companies. Not so coincidentally - as a Congresswoman - Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin voted against the healthcare reform bill - voted against the energy reform bill - and even voted against the DISCLOSE Act which forced corporations to come out of the shadows and disclose their political contributions.

You could say she was honing her corporate pandering skills

There's also John Tanner from Tennessee - one of the founders of the Blue Dogs - wasn't voted out of office - he retired to become the Vice Chairman of the "Prime Policy Group" - a lobbying firm with nearly $3 million in contracts.

While in Congress - Tanner voted against healthcare reform and against energy reform - he now lobbies on behalf of health insurance companies and energy companies.

And then there's Walt Minnick from Idaho went on to create his own lobbying firm "The Majority Group" after he was kicked out of office. Minnick voted "no" on healthcare reform - he opposed energy reform - he voted against the DISCLOSE Act - and he even opposed the stimulus package.

Remember...this is a supposed Democrat we're talking about here

According to the Majority Group's website - Minnick offers his corporate clients "strategic plans to modify government policies to help them improve their profitability."

And he has the resume to back it up - makings sure as a Congressman that health insurance companies and big oil companies avoided government regulations and kept raking in the profits.

And that's just a few of the 8 Blue Dogs that are now working as lobbyists in Washington, DC.

And according to Ethics rules - there's nothing illegal about what they're doing - just so long as they don't physically lobby other Members of Congress themselves...though I'm sure a phone call here and there can be swept under the rug.

This is what money in politics has done to our government.

The people elect Representatives to go to Capitol Hill - those Representatives then represent big oil or the Chamber of Commerce instead of their constituents - and when voters get tired of it - they kick them out of office then lobbying firms step in to give these guys a golden parachute several times bigger than than what they were making as a Member of Congress.

Congress is just a rung on the ladder now toward making the real big bucks as a DC lobbyist - as long as you prove you can play the game - and these particular Blue Dogs definitely proved they can play the game.

It's time to turn the bolt on the revolving door in our nation's capitol - and lock out K Street from Congress for good...and vice-versa.

Only then can we expect our elected Representatives to ACTUALLY represent us - and not just go through a 2 year dress rehearsal to be a lobbyist or think-tank corporate shill.

That's The Big Picture.