House Dem Fight: Dingell Bashes "Left-Wing" Waxman

Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) has called his challenger for the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), an "anti-manufacturing, left-wing Democrat".

Dingell, who is in the process of whipping up support from colleagues to retain support of the influential committee, told a Detroit radio show last week that Waxman lacks a concern for the manufacturing industry, particularly the auto industry (workers in which populate Dingell's southeast Michigan district).

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[jsarets]

Dingell only cares about Detroit getting whatever it needs to keep its head firmly planted in the sand.

I'm not entirely opposed to bailing out Detroit. But if we do, we own their sorry a$$es. They must live with the fact that they came groveling to the taxpayer for lifeboats. If we want higher CAFE standards, we get it. If they b1tch and moan about it, we remind them that they wouldn't be in business at all if not for our gracious generosity.

[fistbump]

Dingell has been a tool of lobbyists and special interests for decades. He is a stooge for the auto industry and therefore, fossil fuels, and he will obstruct Obama's green agenda. You want change? Then you have to change the power bases in Washington, including the chairmanships of these powerful committees. Dingell has used the Energy committee to stand in the way of environmental reforms.

Dingell has been furiously calling the KStreet lobbyists to stop Waxman. He's also been calling fellow reps for votes. This is his whip team.

Co-chaired by Reps. Chet Edwards (Texas), Mike Doyle (Pa.), and Bart Stupak (Mich.). Rounding out the list are:

� Robert Andrews (N.J.)
� John Barrow (Ga.)
� Rick Boucher (Va.)
� Allen Boyd (Fla.)
� Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.)
� Charlie Gonzalez (Texas)
� Bart Gordon (Tenn.)
� Gene Green (Texas)
� Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (S.D.)
� Baron Hill (Ind.)
� Jesse Jackson Jr. (Ill.)
� Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas)
� Jim Matheson (Utah)
� Charlie Melancon (La.)
� Gary Peters (Mich.)*
� Collin Peterson (Minn.)
� Mike Ross (Ark.)
� Bobby Rush (Ill.)
� Mark Schauer (Mich)*
� Heath Shuler (N.C.)
� John Tanner (Tenn.)
� Ellen Tauscher (Calif.)
� Edolphus Towns (N.Y.)

*incoming freshman

[globalcitizenlinda]

Can these two clowning Democrats cut it out - remember that your leader is now No Drama Obama!

[fistbump]

You have no idea.

We need to support Waxman in this fight, and start many more. The stakes are too high.

[shengirl]

Well that didn't last long. Waxman has been out there fighting the good fight, often almost alone. He's an inspiration.

[Agnim]

Democrats are always doing everything imaginable to 'snatch defeat from the jaws of victory'.

Fortunately for the wise and pragmatic Obama, he did not allow the dumb Dem boneheads to derail his coronation and, with the Republi-cons, screw up America even more royally than the wild bush could have imagined..

[fistbump]

What you don't get is that the real power is in these committees and their chairmanships. If you knew how Dingell has stood in the way of progress for years, you would understand why US auto companies are about to go bankrupt. It's because of guys like Dingell who has protected them from change.

You want Obama's green agenda to move forward? Then get rid of Dingell and vote in Waxman. Waxman will be an ally in Obama's fight. Call your rep and let your opinion be known.

And it's not just this very powerful Energy Committee, it's all the committees. We need to change the chairmanships of several if we can. Otherwise, Washington will never change.

[Hawka]

And people objected to Rahm's appointment, you see what we have to deal with here? This is why we need a big SOB like him to knock some type of sense into these guys and make them start focusing on the issues already!

[KarlaElisa]

I used to live in Michigan. Dingell's an A hole.

[jacqmac]

Oh Good GRIEF!! The Dems need to GET A GRIP--NOW!! Of course, I suppose that all this in-fighting is taking place BEFORE Emanuel gets in there and starts knocking heads together. Here it IS--we have a virtual majority and now these guys are vying over who is more 'leftist' than whom or who is more 'center' than whom. They are going to tear this government apart BEFORE Jan. 20 and they all need to CALM DOWN and DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED THEM---ALL THE PEOPLE! Next up---UNION BASHING!!

[pkafin]

I believe Emanuel was named chief of staff for Obama. He no longer has any business "knocking heads together" when it comes to house members organizing themselves into committees. If anything, this kind of chaos is indicative of Emanuel's exit from the House's political hierarchy.

As for your main point about it being counterproductive and stupid for the Dems to be arguing and accusing each other of being too liberal, I whole heartedly agree.

I'm reminded of Bill Clinton's actual words when peole were complaining, during the primary, that HIllary should drop out because she was messing with Obama's chances. Billl said "Everybody needs to chill out. We're gonna win this thing in November if y'all just chill out." He was, I'm happy to say, correct.

The Dems should now get down to getting busy figuring out how to return the Federal government to a state of competent stewardship. The sniping at each other is decidedly unhelpful

[fistbump]

This is a fight that's very much necessary.

You people need to learn how Washington works. It's the committees that direct the agenda. If you want change, it needs to start there.

[LeeCalif]

That's was sh*tty of Dingell to go on a right wing radio show and name-call Waxman.
That's a Repub tactic.

I listened to the audio and Dingell sounded old and winded. The host asked Dingell how his hip was.
So maybe he had fallen and couldn't get up.

[MrsPeel]

Gentlemen (and I use the term loosely)~

As a liberal, progressive Dem, I don't want these kind of food fights, especially right out of the gate. Knock it off. I'm sick of getting trashed from the right-wing kooks. I'll not take it from you boys.

Pelosi and Reid, get a grip.

[fistbump]

This is not a food fight. This is a fight over whether we will follow the Obama change agenda or we fall back into the same old Washington lobbying and special interests.

[hbhawaii]

All of Dingell's years of "protecting" the auto industry have produced the situation we now face.

Had they not been "protected" from some temporarilly painful choices over the last few decades, we'd have something that looks more like Toyota and Honda, instead of a sink-hole for taxpayer dollars.

I'd love to buy an American car, but I'm not an idiot.

This guy needs to go.

[Olerist]

WAXMAN is a HERO to Pharma

[LemonMeringue]

Waxman has been a hero.

[wingwalker12]

LOL. I love Dingell, such a good man and my congressman. I hope he stays and maybe he can get the Dems to boot Pelosi as speaker too and replace her with someone good.

[fistbump]

He is a special interest lackey and a tool of lobbyists for years.

[KickerBoard]

Guess it's time for the conservative Democrats to overreach again - and set up the next round of Democratic defeats we'll wring our hands over for another decade. For heaven's sake, Reid and Pelosi - grow some guts and whip your party in line. Oh, and dump Lieberman too.