Get To Know Your Incoming House Committee Chairs

With the GOP taking over the House of Representatives, there's going to be a major change in direction legislatively. John Boehner's charges will take over the plum chairmanships and assume committee majorities, an important part in reshaping the lower house's legislative agenda. Those assignments have all shaken out, and looking ahead, it's pretty clear that it's going to be an interesting two years!

We've sorted out the key assignments and colorful figures who will play a part in driving the legislative debate from now until 2012.

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Incoming Judiciary Chair Hinted At Impeaching Obama

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Is it too soon to talk about maybe impeaching President Obama? You probably have a range of thoughts on that topic! Here's what Representative Lamar Smith (R-Texas) had to say about the matter, in a conversation with Lou Dobbs back in July:

DOBBS: The fact that we’ve witnessed both the Bush administration and now the Obama administration…refuse to secure the borders, refuse to enforce immigration law — at what point does this rise to the level of a breach of oath to protect the Constitution of the United States? SMITH: I think we’re on the verge of being there right now…Whatever law they’re not enforcing, I think it comes awfully close to a violation of their oath of office.

This all stems from Smith's long history as a lawmaker "less interested in getting in the spotlight and more interested in driving immigrants out of the country." As it happens, he's a big fan of waterboarding and race-based disparity in crack cocaine sentencing.

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Is it too soon to talk about maybe impeaching President Obama? You probably have a range of thoughts on that topic! Here's what Representative Lamar Smith (R-Texas) had to say about the matter, in a conversation with Lou Dobbs back in July:

DOBBS: The fact that we’ve witnessed both the Bush administration and now the Obama administration…refuse to secure the borders, refuse to enforce immigration law — at what point does this rise to the level of a breach of oath to protect the Constitution of the United States?

SMITH: I think we’re on the verge of being there right now…Whatever law they’re not enforcing, I think it comes awfully close to a violation of their oath of office.

This all stems from Smith's long history as a lawmaker "less interested in getting in the spotlight and more interested in driving immigrants out of the country." As it happens, he's a big fan of waterboarding and race-based disparity in crack cocaine sentencing.

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Comments

[server support company]

04:22 AM on 01/31/2011

Why do people wants someone to get down. They always do destructive comments. Why dont they help each other so that everybody will benefit?

server support company nyc

[nwlover]

10:13 PM on 01/26/2011

Like Palin and Bachman--just a pretty face with nought behind it.

[okcalculator]

09:48 PM on 01/26/2011

I'm guessing his plan involves keeping the "Just for Men" factory running

[LameDuckHunting]

10:00 PM on 01/26/2011

ok, calculator, that made me laugh! Allow me to be fan #2..................

[LameDuckHunting]

10:13 PM on 01/26/2011

By the way, I'm a Radiohead fan, too..............

[okcalculator]

10:26 PM on 01/26/2011

right on...one of my faves! thanks for the fan, I'm a bit late to the party, but what're you gonna do?

[exclintonsupporter]

03:43 PM on 01/26/2011

We get it...cut, cut, cut...okay...so now, how many jobs does that create this year?

[skippypicasso]

09:48 AM on 01/26/2011

Hair and flair, but there's no there there.

[joebaggadonuts]

07:25 AM on 01/26/2011

Looks like they are still running the plays W designed. Put the guy most likely to destroy the function in charge of the function, thus fulfilling your promise to Father Norquist and St. Ronny to prove that government is the problem.

[cordyc]

12:16 PM on 01/26/2011

Exactly. They will do everything they can do destroy the government all in the name of "small, limited government". And then they claim that "we are near the edge of the cliff".

They campaign on Fear and then do everything the can to make things worse for the majority of Americans.

[Lahonda]

06:36 AM on 01/26/2011

Nice crew... gonna be a BIG SCRAP to see who gets to share that neuron.

It's like a Scottish condom.

[skippypicasso]

09:56 AM on 01/26/2011

10 to a synapse

[WOODSTOCKER51]

10:05 PM on 12/13/2010

As a young boy, I didn't know a Republican from a Democrat, only in one way: If some man or bunch of men rode up to the ranch to sit or stay all night, and my Father set me to watching 'em all the time they was there -- what they did and what they carried off -- I learned they were Republicans.

WILL ROGERS, Never Met a Man I Didn't Like

[Lahonda]

06:37 AM on 01/26/2011

Thieves and brigands?

[WOODSTOCKER51]

09:39 PM on 12/13/2010

"WHAT ARE REPUBLICAN FAMILY VALUES AND HOW HAVE THEY MADE AMERICA A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE?"

[Lahonda]

06:37 AM on 01/26/2011

ummmm.

[Alien Nation]

06:59 AM on 01/26/2011

Church and guns!

[WOODSTOCKER51]

09:38 PM on 12/13/2010

"WHAT HAVE REPUBLICANS DONE FOR THE AVERAGE AMERICAN SINCE 1928?"


........"WHY DO REPUBLICANS HATE AVERAGE AMERICANS SOMUCH THAT THEY WILL DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO HARM THEM IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE?"

[Lahonda]

06:37 AM on 01/26/2011

...just cuz?

[OldGent]

10:50 PM on 12/12/2010

All together like a southern baptist convention. I respect the religion, I detest false idols.

[oldgrendel]

09:35 PM on 12/12/2010

A veritable rogues gallery of corporate rent boys.

[Greg Petty]

01:46 PM on 01/26/2011

Nice hair," He looks like Eddie Munster

[RPDash]

07:37 PM on 12/12/2010

These are the best House Committee Chairs the U.S. Chamber of Commerce foreign money can buy. This is Amerika, where "the one that has the most money wins".

[ena]

12:42 PM on 12/12/2010

We just got fooled again

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

For I know that the hypnotized never lie ................................

[Greg Petty]

01:47 PM on 01/26/2011

We won,t get Paul Ryaned again

[Plissken]

11:46 AM on 12/12/2010

Umm... lets see here, crackpot, crackpot, crackpot, crackpot, crackpot, crackpot, crackpot, crackpot, crackpot, crackpot and crackpot. Ma-ma-mama we're all crazeeee nowwww! I can only image what a conversation between 11 crackpots would sound like.

[Lahonda]

06:39 AM on 01/26/2011

...a shattering experience?

[Alien Nation]

07:00 AM on 01/26/2011

It sounds a lot like raising chickens. Nothing but a clucking mess.