On Thursday, February 17, 2011, the House of Representatives voted on an amendment to a continuing funding resolution that would defund nine extra-constitutional White House "czars."

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) proposed the amendment to eliminate "a very disturbing proliferation of czars" in the Obama administration, including czars for auto industry manufacturing policy,  green jobs, health care, energy and climate, urban affairs, policy on the Guantanamo Bay detention center, and TARP executive compensation among them.

Scalise: "These unappointed, unaccountable people...are literally running a shadow government, heading up these little fiefdoms that nobody can really seem to identify where they are or what they're doing...We do know that they're wielding vast amounts of power."

He might have added that the power the czars wield comes primarily at the expense of the legislature, although some of them oversee issues with which all branches of government have no legitimate constitutional interest.

The resolution was approved by a 249-179 vote. Thirteen Democrats voted YEA with the Republican majority. Most Democrats, including some Blue Dogs, voted in lock step with their caucus as they all did for the four years Democrats held the House majority. One Republican voted NO.

There are still 25 or so self-described, supposedly "conservative" Blue Dog Democrats in the House, roughly half the number in the last Congress. But the Democrats who voted with the majority weren't all members of the Blue Dog coalition:  Dan Boren (OK), Ben Chandler (KY), Jerry Costello (Il), Henry Cuellar and Gene Green (both TX), Peter DeFazio (OR), Larry Kissell (NC), Jim Matheson (UT), Mike McIntyre (NC), Ed Pastor (AZ), Nick Rahall (WV), Mike Ross (AR), and Heath Shuler (NC - Blue Dog Leader).

Clearly the Democrats' North Carolina contingent believes their state will be in play in 2012. Follow the link to the Roll Call vote and see if your Blue Dog thinks he or she is safe.