The chattering class in DC is all up in arms about the potential of a Clinton SoS. I didn't really care before, but if anything, the opposition to it by winders like Broder and Friedman and Dowd should make any blue-blooded blogger desire it much, but I can't get excited about it.

Neither have I been too enthralled over the Lieberman challenge. We are at 58 seats in the Senate now, if Franken and Martin win, and that, with Lieberman, gets us to 60. That's the bigger picture. Lieberman will get his due in 2012, hopefully with Lamont running again-- which I've encouraged him to do every chance I've seen him over the past couple of year since the '06 mid-term.

The real conflict, Matt and Digby are right, is the Dingell versus Waxman battle over the Chairmanship of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Ezra is right too, about this being the first big challenge in the House, over how serious the body is about doing something about global warming, but its bigger than even that looming issue.

Waxman is the one that should win this battle. No ifs ands or buts. If he doesn't, and seniority takes priority over progressive principles, we are not on the right path.

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CNN is reporting that Henry Waxman, a favorite among environmentalists, is challenging John Dingell for Chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  I could hardly sum up the current challenges of our country more succinctly than "Energy and Commerce" and it would be great to have a more easily recognizable Progressive in charge of this committee.

John Dingell is from Dearborn, MI and is widely considered to be friendly to the automobile industry.  This is an industry that has essentially dismantled public transportation, blocked many reasonable proposals to increase energy efficiency, and is losing badly in the current economic environment.  Then again, the auto industry is probably one of the largest remaining unionized workplaces in the country and John Dingell, despite his supposed ties to the industry, has been given ratings of 94 and 100% by League of Conservation Voters for the past two House sessions.

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A CQ piece this morning explains the MO:

Reid, D-Nev., is expected to kick things off Monday with a cloture vote that would bring a House-passed energy bill (HR 6) to the floor. Reid will then offer the Senate bill, with a few largely technical modifications, as a substitute amendment. Action on amendments could begin as early as Tuesday.

Wicker said the procedural move is necessary to accommodate the inclusion of an energy tax package that is expected to be marked up in the Senate Finance Committee next week, since all tax bills must originate in the House.

The Senate bill is S 1419, an omnibus bill due to encompass five Senate bills (the four I mentioned last Wednesday plus one more).

Can there be any doubt that Uncle Harry would think it the cat's pajamas if all this passed lickety-split, and Big Energy got its wicked way?

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A Kossack picked it up.

The nub:

House Democrats, in their first draft of new energy legislation, would wipe out California's landmark global warming law -- despite their California speaker's promises that her party would use the state as a model to combat climate change.  

The legislation would pre-empt California and 11 other states from implementing laws requiring automakers to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions across their fleets. The bill would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from granting the states waivers to put their climate change rules into effect.

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I suggested a little earlier that the Sandwich Repairman may have read a little more into the House roll call votes on the 100 Hours bills than the evidence could bear.

Interesting, in the light of which, to read a Post piece from today which is a veritable indignation meeting of Dem reps who feel that Pelosi is not given them a fair crack of the whip.

Now, on one level this is just the white-noise grousing of a bunch of folks who would not be satisfied if fed turtle soup and venison with a gold spoon.

(So, don't believe the hype.)

On the other hand, it does raise a further line of enquiry on the 100 Hours votes:

backstage, the firm -- some say heavy-handed -- style Pelosi used to ensure passage of those bills...

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