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Ear to the Ground

Dems Dump Detroit’s Man on the Hill

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Posted on Nov 20, 2008
Flickr / Center for American Progress Action Fund

When February rolls around, Rep. John Dingell will be the longest-serving House member ever. His seniority made his ouster controversial, but was ultimately an ineffective dike against a tidal wave of pro-environment feeling.

House Democrats are serious about going green. To prove it, they just ousted auto hawk John Dingell from his perch as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Rep. Henry Waxman, a California liberal and occasional Dingell foe, supplied the boot.

Waxman campaigned for the job as a more natural ally of President-elect Barack Obama, whose ambitious agenda would almost certainly have run into a few Dingell roadblocks.


Washington Post:

On a 137-122 vote, Waxman dethroned Dingell from a post he has held as either chairman or ranking Democrat since 1981. He is the most prominent supporter of his home state’s auto industry and has feuded with junior committee members, including Waxman, over efforts to impose fuel efficiency standards on cars.

“Seniority is important, but it should not be a grant of property rights to be chairman for three decades or more,” Waxman told reporters after the vote.

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By Louise, November 23, 2008 at 1:30 am #

Missing in the conversation—- Dingell’s long history of being a champion for privatization!

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By msgmi, November 21, 2008 at 3:29 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

For a change the Hill Committee meetings with the big-3 auto execs had a bit of Main Street humor. When asked if either of the execs traveled aboard a commercial flight to DC, none responded. When asked if they planned to return to Detroit on a commercial flight, they remained mute. What else can the Main Street think of these CEOs, but greedy addicts.

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By troublesum, November 21, 2008 at 12:47 pm #

Yesterday in an article about this the ny times listed the five top donors to these two congressmen.  For Dingell they were all international corporations.  Waxman’s top donors were all unions except for the national association of hospitals.  This is a clear indication of how donations do influence a congressperson’s work.  Waxman is a reminder of what the democratic party used to be.

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By VillageElder, November 21, 2008 at 10:50 am #

Waxman’s appointment is certainly good news.  There will be oversight rather than overlook.  With the automakers looking for a bail out besides the call for a “plan” there should be condition requiring the auto industry actively participate in national energy and environmental policies and goals.

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By cyrena, November 21, 2008 at 2:07 am #

Now THIS is the kinda change we’re talkin’ ‘bout!! Yep. I ditto Barbara Boxer from the article: This is a long overdue sea change. It’s so long over due. But better late than not at all.

I can’t think of a better guy for the job than Harry Waxman. Now we just need to make sure that his replacement at the Oversight Committee is another progressive.

This change within the country as well as the Democratic Party is what we’ve been working on for at least 4 years now. Finally; we’re seeing some movement.

Thank whomever needs thanking for this.

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By samosamo, November 21, 2008 at 1:21 am #

You know, bailing out the big 3 american auto makers just cannot be the best move for our economy. I would say create a pro football, a pro basketball, a pro baseball and a pre hockey team in every american city of 100,000+ people. That way, they can create the ‘vendor’ economy for the little mom and pop stands that have been wiped off the face of america. I mean, if something can be too big to let it die, pro sports is IT. Of course it will break down eventually to one vendor buying out another until there are only 4 or 5 vendor conglomerates to control the whole shooting match and we return once again to that old milton friedman economy system of the ‘unfettered markets’ where healthy competion is NOT the way of business but crushing the competion will continue to be.
Here’s to ya.

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