A group of conservative Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1994 to help conservative Democrats present a unified front on issues such as the national debt and taxes.

There are several explanations for the name.

One is that it is a contrast to staunch Democratic loyalists known as "yellow dog Democrats." (The name "yellow dog" is derived from the joke that those Democrats would vote for a yellow dog before voting for a Republican.)

Another is that conservative Democrats had been "choked blue" by the liberal and centrist side of their party at the time.

And a third is that it refers to the blue dog paintings by Louisiana artist George Rodrigue.

Currently, U.S. Reps. Mike McIntyre and Heath Shuler are members of the coalition, and Shuler is a whip.

McIntyre joined when he was elected in 1996; Shuler, upon his election in 2006. In 2008, Shuler unsuccessfully tried to recruit freshman Rep. Larry Kissell to join as well.