Waxman in!

by Erin Alecto

Dingell is out and Waxman is in as Energy And Commerce Chair, in what is seen as a huge victory for environmentalists. TPM has the details:

Dingell, who first entered the House way back when Eisenhower was president, had been the head Democrat on this committee ever since 1981. But many of the more liberal members over the years came to view him as too friendly to Michigan's auto industry and hostile to environmentalists -- especially on issues like climate change and carbon limits.

It also shakes up Congress' seniority system and is yet another sign that the political momentum is squarely in the camp of aggressive Dems. Waxman played a lead role in staking out a far more aggressive stance towards the Bush administration than many other more cautious Dems would take.

It's still unclear whether Pelosi helped achieve this result or not, some are saying she did, some are saying she stepped out of the way, but I don't care. To me, while this is a great move for liberals and environmentalists, the real winners may be all of us in the end. I believe Dingall, being from Detroit, was a big stumbling block to forcing auto makers to create more fuel efficient cars. Good for Waxman, good for the House, and yes, good for all of us.