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Article snippet: Moderate lawmakers in both parties believe their influence will rise after the midterm elections no matter which party takes control of the House. The centrists are projecting that either Democrats or Republicans could have a narrow majority, which would give lawmakers in the middle more power to drive the agenda as leaders come begging for their votes. Coalitions of moderate lawmakers also suspect their ranks will swell next year given the political climate. “If it’s a slim [GOP] majority, we also win,” said Rep. MORE (D-Va.), whip of the moderate New Democrat Coalition. “You can’t ignore us anymore. You’re going to have to cut some deals if you want to get something done.” “The idea that you can do it alone,” he added, “is not going to work if you’ve only got a two- or three-seat majority.” Centrist Republicans have similar hopes. “The majorities are going to be narrower, but whether it’s in Republican hands or Democratic hands that will only allow a group like ours to have more influence over the process,” said Rep. MORE (R-N.Y.), co-chairman of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. Moderate lawmakers have lost their foothold in the House over the past several years, especially following the historic Tea Party wave in 2010 that gave the GOP a large majority. Blue Dog Democrats, a conservative and rural segment of the party, dwindled in size from 54 in 2008 to 18. Now they are hoping for a comeback. “We’re going to have a lot more say in policy and legislation... Link to the full article to read more