One Dingell Out-- Another One In?

Not Debbie Dingell-- this is the good potential replacement

It's wonderful when people feel it's time to retire and then just do it. Congratulations to John Dingell, who made the announcement this morning. At age 87 he's the second-oldest Member of the House, after 90 year old Ralph Hall (who smelled food and inadvertently wandered into an LGBT event recently and was swaying to "I Will Survive" before realizing everyone in the room was a… Democrat, and fleeing in horror). Henry Waxman (74) and George Miller (68) set very classy examples of bowing out at the right time.

A centrist Democrat with a mediocre 74.26 ProgressivePunch crucial vote score this session, Dingell has been good on labor issues and so-so on most everything else (except on issues of women's Choice, where he's… as Jerry Garcia, Vassar Clements, Peter Rowan and David Grisman might have phrased it, "old and in the way." He inherited his father's House seat in 1955-- which his father had held since 1932-- and now he's trying to pass it along to authoritarian and incredibly lame Michigan Democratic Party boss Debbie Dingell, his wife, a GM lobbyist. Presumably, there will be plenty of support for her on K Street.

As the longest-serving member of Congress in history, and with three decades as the top Democrat on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), has seen dozens of his former aides move on to successful K Street careers.

Those who have passed through the revolving door and are currently registered lobbyists include Peter Filon, who worked on cable, telephone, Internet and broadcasting issues at the committee until 2006, when he was hired by Comcast to be a senior lobbyist-- a busy job these days.

Michael Robbins, Dingell's former chief of staff, made a move in 2011 to the Air Line Pilots Association, where he is director of government affairs. And Jeff Donofrio is on the lobbying team of the Ford Motor Co.

Back home, she's politely described as a "power broker." Over the years, I haven't heard many Democratic candidates describe her with that much neutrality. Grassroots progressives usually have something nasty to say about her heavy-handed brand of Establishment politics. Marisa Schultz, the DC-based political writer for the Detroit News makes it clear she's running.

Debbie Dingell, a Democratic power broker and chairwoman of the Wayne State University Board of Governors, is expected to run for Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, now that her husband, U.S. Rep. John Dingell, announced his retirement Monday, political experts said.

Debbie Dingell, 60, one of Michigan’s longtime representatives on the Democratic National Committee and a former president of the General Motors Foundation, decided in April not to run for the U.S. Senate to replace the retiring Carl Levin, D-Detroit, saying she wanted to avoid a costly primary with U.S. Rep. Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township. The move effectively cleared the field for Peters, who is running against Republican Terri Lynn Land.

The retirement of John Dingell, 87, unlocks another rare open seat in Washington for Michigan’s politically ambitious Democrats, who often are sidelined by senior members serving in Congress for decades. If Debbie Dingell enters the race for the seat that includes parts of Wayne and Washtenaw counties, she would be the one candidate who could discourage others from competing.

“She would be the prohibitive favorite in the race,” said Lansing-based political consultant T.J. Bucholz.

The Dingells are considered a powerful political team. Debbie stresses bipartisanship on Michigan issues, like her husband, and has long organized Michigan's inaugural ball regardless of which party won the presidency. She also has been active for decades in community events and fundraising and has built a vast political network.

…The 12th Congressional District leans Democratic and became more blue after the 2012 redistricting, which shed the more moderate county of Monroe. The district starts in the Dingells’ hometown of Dearborn, then heads south through Downriver Detroit and west to Washtenaw County’s Ann Arbor. President Barack Obama beat Republican Mitt Romney by 34 points in the new district in 2012.

Wayne County makes up about 62 percent of the voters in the district, compared to about 38 percent for Washtenaw County, home to state Sen. Rebekah Warren, a strong, progressive female voice in the Legislature who insiders believe could also make a strong congressional candidate.

Candidates for Congress have until April 22 to submit at least 1,000 petition signatures to make the ballot for the Aug. 5 primary election.

Debbie Dingell can be “a polarizing figure” within the Democratic Party, Bucholz said. “There are some people who really like her and there are some people who have challenges with her."

But John Dingell, in office since 1955, yields tremendous political influence and an endorsement for his wife would carry weight within the party and potentially could ward off a contentious Democratic primary.

“Debbie Dingell has political gravitas. John Dingell has three times more,” Bucholz said. “... No one in Michigan will second guess Congressman Dingell on who should be his replacement. If they do, it wouldn’t be in public.”

The district, which boasts a D+15 PVI, gave Obama a 67-31% win over McCain in 2008 and then a 66-33% win over favorite-son Mitt Romney in 2012. Dingell did even better, beating his GOP opponent 68-29% in 2012 and with 71% in 2008. It may be time for new blood in Michigan's Democratic Party… but don't bring that up to any Michigan Democrats. Progressives are begging Rebekah Warren to run.

Hoyer Singing Republican Party Talking Points, But Waxman Kicks Dingell's Ass Anyway... As Blue Dogs Howl In The Wind

Poor Nancy

It was a secret ballot yesterday and it was a secret ballot today, so I guess we'll never know, but I'd put money down that Hoyer voted for Dingell over Waxman at the Steering Committee meeting and again today at the full caucus. (Waxman won 137-122.) Hoyer's not a Blue Dog; he just plays one on the national stage. His role as Majority Leader puts the lie to the sop that the Democrats are a progressive party.

I just thought of Hoyer as another corrupt hack before the Democrats won back a House majority in 2006 when his office asked me to interview him, pleased that I was not jumping on the Murtha bandwagon like most progressive bloggers, grateful for Murtha's sudden stand against Bush's war policies. My memory of Murtha's shocking and career-long reactionary politics and unabashed Republican-like corruption wasn't going away just because he finally was taking a stand against Bush on something he had been actively collaborating on. Anyway, Hoyer's people didn't care that I had equally negative feelings about Hoyer, just as long as I bashed up Murtha and agreed not to call Hoyer a "shill" while I was on the phone with him. On the phone, I found out that Hoyer, much like Lieberman, was once an idealistic young progressive who actually believed in and fought for the values that have attracted people to the Democratic Party... despite the fact that power is in the hands of people like Hoyer and Emanuel.

Today, long after the idealism has been dead and buried for decades, Hoyer seems to see himself as a brake on the aspirations of working families. He seems to have assigned himself the role of "adult" who keeps the idealists in check and spinning their wheels so they can't do anything harmful. He can always be counted on to internalize GOP talking points and then spout them out again to anyone who will listen. Tuesday they were listening at the National Press Club. He said the lame duck session of Congress might extend into December so that the automobile industry problems could be worked on. Nice of him. Congress Daily:

"We do believe dealing with the automakers is a pressing need." In his speech, Hoyer warned the liberal wing of his party about the need to govern from the middle if Democrats want to build a lasting majority. He said that the party's majority status was possible because Democrats convinced independent voters that the party can govern responsibly during times of crisis. "For the first time in decades, we are a true national majority party, and if we want to stay that way, we must govern like one," he said." The 33 new members coming to town "are pragmatic, not dogmatic. They were elected on promises of bipartisanship and fiscal discipline. They were elected, quite simply, to solve problems, not further politicize Washington."

Well, who's going to stand up and say, "Hey gramps, I was elected instead of a right-wing jackass to solve real problems that are the result of policies shoved down our throats by right-wing jackasses... and their enablers from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party, like yourself?" No one. And who, after all, isn't pragmatic?

Sure a boatload of corporate hacks and Hoyer-like shills were elected to Congress but, thanks largely to the Democratic grassroots, so were real progressives like Alan Grayson (FL), Tom Perriello (VA), Jared Polis (CO), Mark Schauer (MI), Eric Massa (NY), Donna Edwards (MD), Jim Himes (CT), Larry Kissell (NC), Gary Peters (MI), Martin Heinrich (NM), Dan Maffei (NY). I've talked to each of them and they are all "pragmatic." They all want to get things accomplished. And they are all dedicated to furthering the interests of working families above and beyond the corporate interests Steny Hoyer slowly but surely became a captive of.

[UPDATE: Did Obama's team help Waxman stick it to the Blue Dogs?]

Heavenly Day-- Waxman Defeats Dingell: Blue Dogs Go Down To Disastrous Defeat

Yes we can! Waxman vanquishes the filthy Blue Dogs!

I hope this isn't too inside baseball for everybody. If it is, just skip down to the nice song at the bottom. It's been somewhat drowned out by the intensity of the faux battle over Joe Lieberman's Homeland Security Committee chair, but there has been another battle in Congress pitting a progressive against a... non-progressive. John Dingell, the longest serving member of Congress, has been the auto industry's #1 shill in the House. The $897,915 he's taken from the industry in legalized bribes is more than any other member of Congress besides McCain and when you only count the auto manufacturers, Dingell's $625,725 in contributions is more than the #2 and #3 recipients combined. They like him; he does whatever they want-- and when they take the heads of the Big 3 out behind the barn, they should drag Dingell out back with them.

Yeah, yeah... that'll never happen... but... this morning the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee gave Dingell a stinging rebuke by voting 25-22 to recommend making Henry Waxman chairman of the powerful Energy & Commerce Committee, which Dingell has used to work with the Bush Regime and the car manufacturers in preventing reasonable increases in CAFE standards for automobiles. Progressives generally lined up behind Waxman and Dingell was championed by the Blue Dogs, New Dems and generally reactionary members from the Republican Wing of the Democratic Party (and members from his home state, Michigan). Most of the more corrupt members of the Congressional Black Caucus are also supporting Dingell. Tomorrow the full House will elect the chairmen of that committee (plus Appropriations, Financial Services, and Ways & Means.

Waxman, D-Calif., has long clashed with Dingell by pushing for stronger environmental laws and is expected to draw support from fellow liberals. Waxman, who is currently chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is aligned with Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.

Pelosi has remained publicly neutral in the race for the Energy and Commerce panel chairmanship, but many Democrats doubt Waxman would have attempted the challenge without her tacit support.

Some Democrats have expressed concern that ousting Dingell would upset the seniority system and divide the caucus at a moment when the party has won the White House and cemented its hold on Congress.

Votes in the Steering Committee are conducted by secret ballot.

Democrats said the last time the Steering Committee declined to nominate the top Democrat on a committee to remain in that position was in 1996, when Henry B. Gonzalez of Texas was rejected as ranking member of the Banking panel.

The full caucus overturned that decision.

Although there are 4 members not currently on the Steering Committee (the 4 chairs mentioned above who need to be elected), these are the members:

Speaker, Steering & Policy Chair Nancy Pelosi
Steering Co-Chair Rosa DeLauro
Policy Co-Chair George Miller
Vice Chair Marion Berry
Vice Chair Hilda Solis
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
Majority Whip James Clyburn
Democratic Caucus Chair John Larson
Democratic Caucus Vice-Chair Xavier Becerra
DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen
Organization, Study and Review Chair Michael Capuano
Senior Chief Deputy Whip John Lewis
Chief Deputy Whip G.K. Butterfield
Chief Deputy Whip Joseph Crowley
Chief Deputy Whip Diana DeGette
Chief Deputy Whip Ed Pastor
Chief Deputy Whip Jan Schakowsky
Chief Deputy Whip John Tanner
Chief Deputy Whip Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Chief Deputy Whip Maxine Waters
Budget Chair John Spratt
Rules Chair Louise Slaughter
Dennis Cardoza
Kathy Castor
Jerry Costello
Artur Davis
Lloyd Doggett
Rush Holt
Marcy Kaptur
Zoe Lofgren
Doris Matsui
Kendrick Meek
Collin Peterson
Tim Ryan
Nydia Velazquez
Add to that two freshmen, Debbie Halvorson and Jared Polis, and the 12 regional whips:
Linda Sanchez
Jerry McNerney
Tammy Baldwin
Jan Schakowsky (she only has one vote, even though she's on the list twice)
Rick Larsen
Eddie Bernice Johnson
Bob Etheridge
Ron Klein
James Moran
Robert Brady
Jerrold Nadler
John Tierney

OK, so what happens tomorrow. Pelosi had control over the Steering Committee (barely) but it wouldn't surprise me one bit if the full caucus swings with the Blue Dogs and sticks with Dingell. Something to look forward to tomorrow... more with trepidation than with optimism. [Not such a Heavenly Day for the filthy reactionary Blue Dogs-- Waxman won the chairmanship away from Dingell as the myth of Blue Dog power crumbled.]

Because I used to work at a record company I still get tons of demos from aspiring artists. It makes no sense because "used to" means "now I'm a blogger and I don't do music biz anymore." Most of the demos aren't very good and I rarely stick them up at DWT or pass them along to the Late Night Music Club. Yesterday, however, a guy in Montana, Patrick Dwyer, sent me this simple performance YouTube he made of himself singing a Patty Griffin classic, "Heavenly Day." What do you think? Should I send this fella to meet some A&R guys?

The Danger Within-- Reactionary Democrats In The House And Senate

Earlier today-- in a discourse about grinning and bearing Obama's selection of Rahm Emanuel-- not just accepting but trusting that Obama is doing the right thing-- I mentioned how I trusted Obama all through the election and watched him make questionable decisions that turned out to be the right decisions. Only once did I lose it and decide I couldn't go along with him. That was when the campaign decided to leak that they were considering reactionary Indiana Senator Evan Bayh as VP. Nothing on God's earth would ever, under any circumstances, get me to cast a vote for Birch Bayh's horrendous offspring. Look at the voter record of the Senate's bottom of the barrel (above)-- the 6 from the Democratic caucus who voted most frequently for the Bush agenda.

And, predictably, it was Bayh who asked that Democrats welcome Joe Lieberman back into the fold-- the same Joe Lieberman who said America wouldn't survive an Obama presidency and the same Joe Lieberman who campaigned for and raised money for Republican senators Susan Collins and Norm Coleman.

Bayh said Lieberman may have “perhaps crossed the line” in questioning Obama’s patriotism. But he maintained, “I think everybody understands that supporting your friend [McCain] is perfectly legitimate” and that “we should have a spirit of forgiveness with regard to Joe Lieberman and reconcile and move forward.” Presented with some of Lieberman’s more notorious comments, Bayh countered, saying Lieberman “votes with the majority of Democrats, a vast majority of the time.”

That isn't true, not on difficult substantive matters-- for either Lieberman or Bayh (middle column on the chart), Bayh being even worse than Lieberman!

Reid told Lieberman he'd have to give up his chair of the Homeland Security Committee-- which he ran abysmally and exactly the way a Republican would have run it, protecting Bush's ass. Lieberman refuses to give it up-- even though Reid offered him the chairmanship of the Veteran Affairs Committee, an insult to every fighting man and woman who ever served the country-- and says he'll start caucusing with the Republicans if he's forced to step down from his chairmanship.

Bayh isn't the only Lieberman apologist in the Democratic caucus and I get a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach that if Reid calls a vote, the cowardly and innately conservative majority will vote to make believe nothing ever happened.

Over on the House side, progressive champion Henry Waxman is challenging notorious corporate tool John Dingell for Dingell's job as Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce. Dingell has lined up two dozen of the most reactionary Blue Dogs in the Democratic House caucus to help him keep the job and continue to serve the corporate interests he's been serving for most of his career, right-wing Democrats like Heath Shuler (NC), Mike Ross (AR), John Tanner (TN), Jim Matheson (UT), Bart Stupak (MI), Allen Boyd (FL), John Barrow (GA), Baron Hill (IN) Charlie Melancon (LA), Ellen Tauscher (CA), Edolphus Towns (NY)... basically all worthless reactionary hacks. I was very sad to see two of the progressive freshmen we just helped elect, Michigan's Mark Schauer and Gary Peters, get sucked right in with the worst crowd in Congress. Sigh.