Cook writes in the National Journal:

“Talking with a conservative House Democrat from the South recently, I commented that it must be horrible to go home and get beaten about the head and shoulders by angry constituents. He added, “And then come back here and get beaten up in my own caucus.”

You can see how this sort of treatment by the Democratic Leadership, and the sort of reception that Members of Congress are getting back home on health care could lead to some Members switching parties or living in a world where they are ostracized by their fellow Democrats.  This is the real reason members who are going to vote NO on the health care reform bill are steeling up their courage.  They are fully aware of the personal and political costs inside the beltway that they will incur, versus the heavy political cost of voting YES in their districts.

It is well known that many of the Democrats in the Progressive Caucus would like to see a hefty number of Blue Dogs lose their re-election in 2010 to give the liberals a free hand to do what they want in the House, and this fact is not lost on the Blue Dogs — it is more than hostility they are feeling inside their caucus, it is: we’d really like you to never come back.