Centrist Dem group pledges support for Obama

A trio of centrist Democrats wrote on op-ed in the Washington Post today arguing that their newly organized working group would be a big help to President Obama’s agenda. The three senators–Evan Bayh (D-IN), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Tom Carper (D-DE)–refuted claims that their coalition would leverage Democrats delicate majority in order to water down Obama’s proposals.

As moderate leaders, it is not our intent to water down the president’s agenda. We intend to strengthen and sustain it. Moderation is not a mathematical process of finding the center for its own sake. Practical solutions are practical because they offer our best chance to make a difference in people’s lives today without forcing our children to pick up the tab tomorrow.

Bayh and Lincoln are both up for re-election in 2010, and Lincoln in particular has been mentioned as a possible Democratic defector on card-check legislation. (Wal-Mart is her state’s biggest employer.)