Waxman’s takeover signals a shift to the left

Rep. Henry Waxman’s successful coup against Energy and
Commerce Chairman John Dingell on Thursday leaves the storied former chairman
with a ceremonial role and steers the Democratic agenda sharply left.

The 137-122 vote to hand Waxman (Calif.) the gavel dealt
a serious challenge to the Democrats’ seniority system and put key aspects of
President-elect Barack Obama’s agenda in the hands of a liberal, aggressive and
activist chairman.

{mosads}“The prevailing view in the caucus and the argument we
made was that we needed a change for the committee to have the leadership that
will work with this administration and members in both the House and the Senate
in order to get important issues passed in healthcare, environmental
protection, in energy policy,” Waxman said after the vote.

Dingell (Mich.) congratulated Waxman in a statement after
the vote, alluded to Obama’s “change” theme, and indicated he intends to stay
in Congress.

“This was clearly a change year and I congratulate my
colleague Henry Waxman on his success today,” Dingell said. “What will not
change, however, and what will never change, is my commitment to the working
men and women of the 15^th congressional district of Michigan.”

Centrists and adherents to the seniority system were left
fuming that Dingell was unseated. Some said the political and personal wounds
won’t quickly heal, especially as Dingell remains on the Energy and Commerce
dais as “chairman emeritus.”

“I think it was highly inappropriate. There was no
obvious reason to make this change,” said Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), a Dingell
whip and an ally on the measured approach to climate change. Another centrist
Dingell supporter called the vote “an outrage.”

Even a Republican, fellow Michigan Rep. Thaddeus
McCotter, criticized Democrats for ousting Dingell. He noted that it came on
the same day that a bailout for automakers collapsed in Congress.

“For working families, the American auto industry and our
entire manufacturing base an already dim day has grown darker, due to this
internecine betrayal of Chairman Dingell,” McCotter said in a statement.

House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), a
senior, liberal member, called it a blow to the seniority system. “It’s just
been buried,” he said.

After the vote, Waxman said seniority is important, but
not preeminent.

“People can run against us back home if they think we can
do a better job, and people should be allowed to run against us here in the
Congress if they think they can do a better job,” Waxman said. “Seniority is
important. But it should not be a grant of property rights to be chairman for
three decades or more.”

Particularly upset were the conservative Blue Dog
Democrats. One member said they were “in orbit — they think it’s a California
takeover.”

Publicly, the Blue Dogs were slightly more circumspect.

“We’ll work with the new leadership,” said Rep. Stephanie
Herseth Sandlin (S.D.). “But to deny a man who defines the modern Congress …
is a mistake.”

Rep.
Charlie Melancon (La.), a fellow new Blue Dog leader, agreed that centrists are
still willing to work with Waxman.

“Give
the man the opportunity to demonstrate that we’re not going ‘hard left,’ or
‘off the cliff’,” Melancon said. “There’s no fears, but there’s some concerns.”

Melancon
said he was bothered that the caucus would dump Dingell when he was expected to
retire at the end of this Congress.

But some Dingell supporters also conceded that Waxman’s
quiet campaign had a superior whip operation. And others saw in Dingell’s
defeat the hand of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). She was officially
neutral, but also never stepped in to end Waxman’s challenge.

“I assume that not playing a role is playing
a role,” Rangel said.

In a statement after the vote, Pelosi did
not stray from her public neutrality. She praised Dingell and predicted unity,
but extolled Waxman as the man to carry forward the issues she has identified
as priorities for Obama and herself as Speaker.

“Under his leadership, the committee and the
entire caucus will make progress toward making America energy-independent,
making healthcare available to all Americans, and addressing the greatest
challenge of our time, global warming,” Pelosi said.

And supporters of a more aggressive approach
to climate change and more aggressive regulation were encouraged. Dingell was a
chief advocate of automakers and was slow to warm up to Pelosi’s call for
restrictions to limit climate change.

“I think it will be easier,” Rep. Earl
Blumenauer (D-Ore.) said of global warming restrictions. “I think anyone who’s
watched the last couple of years would conclude it will happen more quickly and
more smoothly. [Waxman] is better positioned to guide that.”

Supporters also said they wanted swifter
implementation of the agenda of the Democratic Party and Obama.

Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), a Waxman ally
for years, said Waxman supporters were mindful of 1993 and 1994 when Democrats
controlled Congress and the White House for two years, then lost Congress in a
dramatic fashion.

“The memory of ’93 and ’94 was seared into
our minds,” Berman said. “We have to pass the program. The question
was how that could best be done.”

Inside the caucus room, Reps. Mike Doyle
(D-Pa.), Herseth Sandlin, Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and John Lewis (D-Ga.) spoke
for Dingell.

Supporters focused on Dingell’s years of
work and successful legislation as chairman of the committee.

“The focus was on his tremendous
congressional service,” said Boucher. “That record of achievement deserves to
be rewarded.”

Waxman spent most of his allotted time
speaking on his own behalf. But Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Bruce Braley
(D-Iowa) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) also spoke for him.

Schakowsky even brought props to demonstrate
the changes Waxman engineered in the daily lives of Americans. She held up a
bag of potato chips to point out the nutrition label he pushed for. She held up
a pill bottle to signify his push for generic pharmaceuticals and an apple that
she said was safer because of Waxman’s efforts on pesticides.

“He can get the job done and pass
legislation,” Schakowsky said later. “The top issues of the Obama
administration are what he’s been most active on.”

After the vote, Pelosi called for Dingell to
be named “chairman emeritus,” which gives him a title, but no authority.