Waxman dethrones Dingell as chairman

[kpete]

Waxman dethrones Dingell as chairman
By PATRICK O'CONNOR | 11/20/08 10:53 AM EST

Henry Waxman
Rep. Henry A. Waxman, entering the caucus meeting Thursday.
Photo: AP

California Rep. Henry A. Waxman on Thursday officially dethroned longtime Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell, upending a seniority system that has governed Democratic politics in the House for decades.

In a secret ballot vote in the Cannon Caucus Room, House Democrats ratified an earlier decision by the Steering and Policy Committee to replace the 82-year-old Dingell with his 69-year-old rival. The vote was 137-122 in favor of Waxman.

The ascension of Waxman, a wily environmentalist, recasts a committee that Dingell has chaired since 1981 with an eye toward protecting the domestic auto industry in his native Michigan. The Energy and Commerce Committee has principal jurisdiction over many of President-elect Barack Obama's top legislative priorities, including energy, the environment and health care.

The vote Thursday allows Waxman to unseat the dean of the House just three short months before he was set to become the longest-serving chairman in the history of the institution.

more at:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15822.html

[babylonsister]

1. Yea for Rep. Waxman! I'm glad he got this! nt

[ClarkUSA]

2. Well-played by Speaker Pelosi and her new liberal leadership team. The outcome was never in doubt.

Heh

[Demeter]

3. Glad I'm Not the Only One Unimpressed By Dingell

I hope Waxman lives up to his potential...he's got good talking points, at least.

[EconomicLiberal]

4. So Pelosi haters, do you still think she is ineffective?

She had her hands on this. She was Waxman's choice.

[bullwinkle428]

5. YES!!!! This will be a hugely important position in the coming years,

and I can't think of a better person to really push the essentials with regards to this issue!

[knitter4democracy]

6. Sure. Let's screw Michigan yet again.

We don't need jobs or respect or help as our state dies or anything. Nope. Just keep on looking the other way as people literally starve and freeze to death up here. Why not.

[LSK]

7. so keep the people in power who got you into this mess??????

When are some people going to understand that fighting CAFE standards and innovation is BAD FOR BUSINESS.

:wtf:

[Royal Oak Rog]

9. It's a new day, and being from Mi I applaud it

For too long Dingall kept the Auto industry in the stone age by fighting CAFE standards, I'm all for the Big 3 but it's high time they enter this century!

[knitter4democracy]

16. Was he fighting for the Big Three or the UAW?

My brother used to be an engineer in research and development at Ford, and he found that the ones most against innovation were the higher-up union guys.

[mopinko]

10. prolly never

as long as all we do is talk about it. maybe after president obama shows them, they might.

[knitter4democracy]

14. So, it's okay to slam a major state party leader to teach us a lesson?

Yeah, that's going to feel great to all the UAW members who helped the Dems win the state. It's going to mean so much to the rank and file Dems, too--you know, the ones who know and respect Dingell for trying to save their jobs.

[Deep13]

11. I'm not looking the other way and we aren't screwing Michigan.

I just think Waxman is better suited for that job. I'm not anti-Dingell so much as pro-Waxman.

[knitter4democracy]

15. I do like Waxman, but did they have to do it to Michigan?

Obama snubbed our state more than once, and now this. *sigh* It sure doesn't feel good on top of the latest economic numbers.

[sonias]

8. That's change we can believe in

Congratulations to "the Waxman"!

:woohoo:


Sonia

[crispini]

12. Wow. Waxman will kick ass and take names.

Good man! :party:

[On the Road]

13. Here's to the "Wily Environmentalist"!

:toast: