U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass., gestures during a debate while seated next to Mass. Attorney General Martha Coakley in Boston, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009.  (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

(Politico) – Moderate House Democrats are warring with the dominant liberal faction over the leftward shift of the caucus, arguing that they’ll never win back the majority if they don’t change their message.

Tension reached a boiling point during a closed-door caucus meeting Wednesday over the party’s stance toward Wall Street banks, according to multiple sources at the meeting.

Liberal Massachusetts Rep. Mike Capuano incensed the moderates when he said if Democrats support rolling back Dodd-Frank regulations, “you might as well be a Republican.”

Capuano’s comments were so pointed he immediately offended the handful of Democrats who had voted with Republicans previously on the issue and still support it, the sources said. Capuano said in an interview that he stood by his remarks and he had not heard that any of his colleagues were upset. The bill was defeated by Democrats Wednesday.

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