Oh frabjous day!

Yay!

…the House voted for progress…

A very strange feeling I hope to experience more often in the next few years.

Oooooh Yeahhhh!

Thanks Jane. Bout time for s’more good news.

bluedawgs to the back of the bus please, to cogitate awhile on what be these strange new concepts, humility and cooperation.

I feel a Snoopy Dance coming on…

If you thought the auto execs looked unhappy yesterday when they were quizzed on their private plane usage, image their faces today. Hee, hee!

Anyone who thinks that other members of the House aren’t soiling themselves over this huge blow to the traditional system of seniority and entitlement hasn’t been paying attention.

Buy stock in Depends! Let’s hope there’s more of this to come.

Go Waxman. You have been a wall for us these past few years.

UAW head Gettelfinger holding news conference at noon ET
http://www.marketwatch.com/New…..eid=yhoof2

Digg is open.

Though she never took a public position, nobody has any doubts that Nancy Pelosi orchestrated this.

Ya think? Why, that sneaky little, heh heh. Nice job Ms. Pelosi. Nice indeed.

“Though she never took a public position, nobody has any doubts that Nancy Pelosi orchestrated this.”

Any news/rumors about Obama’s role, if any,in this?

May I join in? This is a day to dance a little, maybe a lot.

This is awesome.

So who takes over Oversight? Since we know that Joe will screw that up in the Senate, who will take up where Henry left off in the House?

There will need to be more. I honestly don’t know who will be the greater hazard for liberal goals in the coming session–GOP, or the blue dogs. Could well be that the blue dogs are the larger problem.

Has anyone done a full count yet to see if the size of the D majority now exceeds the number of Blue Dogs? No one thing would be better for the future of our country than for the Blue Dogs to become totally irrelevant.

Thanks for the good news Jane.

Forgive me for being a wet blanket. I do recognize this as good news.

I’m scratching my head over why Pelosi, of all people, would be for progress and not Blue Dogs. Maybe she just likes Waxman more.

I like Rep. Waxman and admire his tenacity, etc. But what results have we gained from his hearings? Does anyone have a post about this that I missed?

thanks!

Happy about the news, distracted by the cute guitar boy.

We all need a cute guitar boy in these uncertain times. :]

You likely could get a rough count from this vote…137-122…although regional and personal issues may have also played a role. But I would bet that you’ll find all the hard-core “Blue Dogs” voting for Dingell, and most all of the Progressives on the side of Waxman (minus some from Michigan and perhaps some in the Black Caucus).

I concur. This quote from the Bard reminds me of the 110th: Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

To be honest, I’d personally hope for none. After years of assault by Bush/Cheney and abdication by Congress, the status of Congress as a fully co-equal branch of government (among whose constitutional mandates is oversight of the Executive to keep it operating within bounds of the law) is deeply injured right now.

It’s very disturbing that Obama as President-elect would interfere in a Senate decision on a committee chairmanship (though even more disturbingly he also voted for FISA II), and that would still be true even if he’d been pushing for Lieberman’s ouster. I expect better than this from someone who once taught constitutional law. It’s time he started treating the internal affairs of Congress with the same attitude he’d treat changes in government in a foreign country. He may have an opinion about it, but publicly and diplomatically his stance should be one of “I’ll work with whomever they choose.”

Sunlight Waxman for Energy?! cool!

Phoebe Snow:

Harpo’s Blues (I Wish I Was A Willow)
I wish I was a willow
And I could sway to the music in the wind
And I wish I was a lover
I wouldn’t need my costumes and pretend
I wish I was a mountain
I’d pass boldly thru the clouds and never end
I wish I was a soft refrain
When the lights were out I’d play
and be your friend
I strut and fret my hour upon the stage
The hour is up
I have to run and hide my rage
I’m lost again
I think I’m really scared
I won’t be back at all this time
And have my deepest secrets shared

Poor pantywaist Blue Dogs. We need to see a LOT more stick-poking into the magical “seniority system” like this…and we need to see even a HINT of this in the Senate.

It’s sorta up to them, isn’t it. Will they play their short suits and -um- come up short?

Note to self: buy s’more Depends stock.

oye! sigh… men….

That’s kind of where I was headed too. But as the new leader of the party, I would suspect Pelosi would phone Obama and tell him, “Waxman’s gonna be taking over for Dingell. Hope you’re okay with that.”

Detroit’s channel 7 says there’s a possible bi partisan deal for the auto’s.

I congratulate Waxman. I am skeptical of Pelosi’s role. We will have to wait to see if any of this translates into meaningful legislation.

I wonder if she mightn’t have made that call beforehand. Dealing with energy and its impact on the environment is one of the things he’s been very specific about since the election.

It was on the bottom of the screen as UAW head Gettelfinger was speaking.

Hey, where are all u artistic wizards wit da photoshop’n stuff.

liarman as Little Lord Faunt-lure-oye, puleeze? huh? huh?

Does this mean I have to be nice about Nancy now? Damn. ; )

uh oh. Bi partisan usually means Rethug inspired and approved.

The Dingell ate my baby!

yeah, it’s hard to imagine her wielding any meaningful power at this point. last I saw, she looked ready to climb onto the roof. either someone talked her down or i’m way off base.

ain’t pollytix wunnerful?!

BREAKING: Deal Reached on Auto Bailout

http://www.wxyz.com/news/story…..2722cd9a0d

Yay Waxman. Imperfect but aggressive on some issues. More like this, please, Nancy.

In my book, she still has a lot more making up to do…

I am really curious what this may portend for the direction Pelosi plans to take in the the next Congress. How much more of this will there be?

No matter the hardships that lie ahead there is finally hope for America..we can rejoice somewhat during these holidays like before the Republican scourge of America. We can smile now..’yes we can’!

LOL! Spew!

i didn’t hear that. did you? she ain’t no hippy. u got ammyewnitchin, fahr away, just don’t hit any pups, and watch that recoil.

OMG. Thanks for update. Afraid to read the link. pant pant.

While I kinda agree with you to a point, I feel it’s incumbent on the Congress’ leadership to set the standard, since it’s their branch of government, and hence, their power being usurped, abridged or otherwise hijacked.

amen!

This is interesting, from Josh Marshall’s (Republican) Hill staffer friend…

But, honestly, the real story here is Nancy Pelosi whacked John Dingell. She put a hit on him, and it was executed.

Though she never took a public position, nobody has any doubts that Nancy Pelosi orchestrated this.

uggg…I’m supposed to hate her for keeping bush in office

*what to do*

But, honestly, the real story here is Nancy Pelosi whacked John Dingell. She put a hit on him, and it was executed.

they are making this personal, nancy put a hit on those that want to contain progressive government

maybe, but Stainy is still in his #2 position and he ain’t no progressive sympathizer.

gee whillickers! Do I detect a glimmer of a weensy, tentative little smile?

enjoy the moment, quick.

this is the bumpiest train ride since, um, yestidie.

i think we need eachother, all of us, at this here Lake.

Dingell is 83 and way behind the times. Whole different ballgame now.

Now if we could just give the oversight chair to Kucinich

whacked ding ding?

could there be any connection with the looming auto deal???

Agreed, but it’s a start…

now you’re making me drool…

When I said we needed to get rid of the old guard, I meant the old guard. I’m sorry but these folks in their 80s just aren’t cuttin’ it anymore. Sen Byrd is a fine man and all that but look at him when he speaks.

Thanks for posting this, Jane, maybe you can help convince Marcy to reconsider a run for Congress…

Blogger in da House! Just the thought of it makes the ganglia twitch.

I’m not snarkin’, either. Dingell’s a bluedog, and even if she can’t beat him (I really think she can) she’d put a his bluedog record up for some serious public scrutiny.

Change is bigger than just ousting the R’s, some of these D’s need replacing, and with Waxman’s win in Congress, it seems quite possible we will see some local changes, too.

Michigan is ready for Marcy.

Oh, man the Blue Dogs’ll be jumpin’ outta windows.

Yeah, they really should. It should simply be understood that if they don’t push back against encroachment on their prerogatives, they’re going to lose them, so the responsibility is theirs. I mean, they can be firm, but nice about it.

But it feels to me like the whole area of separation of powers, checks and balances, etc., is not well understood in the country generally. In the same way, I get the feeling that a lot of folks just don’t understand the difference between “unconstitutional” and “illegal.” It would be helping tremendously, given where we are, if Obama were publicly seen respecting constitutional limits between the branches. Not lecturing, but simply visibly present in how he talks about things and in what he does. You know, the way one behaves regarding things that constitute the normalcy of “How Things Are.”

Unfortunately, the message he’s sending is that Bush’s Unbounded Presidency is the new normal. And folks out in the country who don’t understand the significance of that will still pick up on it subliminally and not see a problem with it, and we’ll continue to move away from being a constitutional republic under a rule of law.

I agree. It’s difficult to keep up with needs and changes when you are in your 80s. The mind just isn’t that agile.

sort of agree but, with Byrd, in all deference, close yer eyes and listen.

his brain’s still perking right along. amazing guy in many respects.

that’s a problem?

I can’t argue with that. Prolly should have used a different example. Like Stevens.

I shoulda put a *big g* after that.

There two ways to clear out the dead wood of the Blue Dogs. Chopping down ene at a time or a wildfire. Who’s got a match.

I missed Stevens farewell address yesterday. Did he say anything worth hearing?

There ya go! Isn’t it glorious?! The hulk didn’t retire. He was truly and duly smacked down by the voters! *G*

I’ll watch. *grabs popcorn*

Stevens bids farewell in speech to Senate

Well, born in 1917, that makes Byrd 91 years old, and he still makes more sense than most of the much younger Blue Dogs!

Amen!

Thanks !

Senate Gives Stevens A Standing Ovation – youtube

Does he ever?

Should have said “some”. Byrd is still as bright as a 25 year old but some of the others still think “Father Knows Best” is exactly the way things should be. A tad of housecleaning is called for.

Got a whole bunch of strike anywhere. Here, let’s go. *hands over handful* Showtime!

Fine, then lets get rid of the Blue Dogs and keep Byrd. (Obstinate, aren’t I?)

Sounds like an even Steven deal to me.

Blue Texan is upstairs…

I don’t normally read forbes but I have jumped over to the far right side a time or two lately to see what that wealthy crazy mag machine is up to.

Waxman’s victory is a seismic event on Capitol Hill, as he has unseated one of the most powerful members of Congress, who since 1981 has been the top Democrat on the influential Energy and Commerce Committee. But it was not entirely unexpected. Wednesday, the party’s panel that votes on committee chairmanships gave Waxman the nod by a 25-22 vote.

However, it’s also a signal that Democrats are looking for a slate of leaders that is less likely to clash with President-elect Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on energy and climate issues.

“A Waxman win changes the character of House Democrats’ views toward coal and cars, the two principal sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. economy,” says Kevin Book, an energy analyst with FBR Capital Markets

No word yet from Detroit, but the Big Three can’t be thrilled. During the debate over last year’s energy bill, which modified fuel economy standards, Pelosi was forced to work out a compromise with Dingell to pass the bill. Dingell’s critics have often claimed that if he weren’t the committee’s chairman, fuel economy standards would have been raised long ago, though it should be noted that Republicans could have done the same thing when they controlled the committee from 1994 to 2006.

GM and Ford were also among Dingell’s top seven contributors, each providing the Michigan Democrat with $13,000 during the 2008 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/…..r=yahootix

I don’t know if Obama had any thing to say in this matter but he ran on clean renewable energy and it seems it’s Waxman’s agenda too.

On the environmental issues, Dingell last year floated the idea of a tax on carbon emissions–an idea that was never expected to go anywhere because lawmakers would be hesitant to vote for tax increases, particularly with an election in sight. Waxman, by contrast, has favored strict cuts on greenhouse gas emissions.

There’s a chance the California Democrat could also remove coal advocate Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., from the chairmanship of a subcommittee on energy and air quality. One potential replacement: Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., an advocate of tougher climate change restrictions.

In his current role as the House’s top watchdog, Waxman has a reputation for being tough. In recent months, he’s taken to task hedge fund managers, financial regulators and former Lehman Brothers (nyse: LEHMQ – news – people ) Chief Executive Richard Fuld.

He’s likely to apply his skeptical eye toward corporate greed to his new post. That’s a big deal for business, as the Energy and Commerce Committee also deals with food and drug safety, health care and telecommunications legislation.

http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/…..r=yahootix

FUCKING WOOO-HOOOO!

I like Henry Waxman, yes I do. And John Dingell, Gawdluvem – he’s been in Congress since I was 2 years old and I’m fucking OLD!

I agree. Lifetime Senate seats have got to go. Same with the Supreme court. Age does matter.

And House seats. I do know that is where Dingell is.

Crap, I guess this means the end of fun-to-drive cars the the beginning of a sea of beige econoboxes. I really hope Waxman owns a Ford Mustang, or knows someone who does, but I’m not holding my breath…

“Waxman’s victory is a breath of fresh air — of clean air. It was a stunning defeat for the corporate lobbyists on K Street,” said Frank O’Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch. “It shows that a majority of the House Democrats are ready to work with the incoming Obama administration on effective global warming legislation.”

In a statement congratulating Waxman, Dingell acknowledged that it is a “year of change.” He renewed his commitment “to protecting and creating jobs, to providing health care for all Americans, to working to getting our state and nation’s economy back on track.”

Pelosi is a home state ally of Waxman and has tangled with Dingell in the past, but she has not publicly taken sides in the battle and did not pressure members privately to back Waxman. But her support of Waxman was wel http://www.wxyz.com/news/local…..d1f09e591l known and played a role in the strong tally.

Circling back and saw your info, Sunshine. THank you!