The Liberal Power Struggle Begins

It was reported yesterday that Henry Waxman (D-CA) is vying for democratic colleague John Dingell's (D-MI) chairman spot on the influential Energy and Commerce Committee. Apparently Dingell is too friendly to the auto industry in his state and Waxman therefore deems himself a better stewart of the liberal agenda who will likely push for punishments if Detroit doesn't start pumping out cars that get 80 mpg. Never mind that the difference between the failed American auto industry and the Japanese auto industry is largely the UAW that is more about retaining benefits than putting out quality vehicles that Americans would want to buy. This is the primary pinhead who will be pushing for us to pay in the short term at the pump in favor of green initiatives and stricter emissions controls.

This is just the beginning of much infighting that is likely to occur both within the democratic party and between the Obama White House and Congress. As another Wall Street Journal article pointed out yesterday, there are Congressional players who will undoubtedly challenge Obama with their own agendas:


David Obey (D-WI). A visit to the issues page of his web site makes it clear that Rep. Obey could give a flip about our military operations abroad, as the military isn't even one of the issues listed on his site. He's very much an advocate of spending less money on the military and more on domestic programs. As the WSJ article points out, this conflicts squarely with any Obama plans to recreate the surge in Afghanistan. I might agree with Obey that it would be ideal to spend more money on domestic programs but not before we catch Osama Bin Laden and "bring him to justice"(if I was still in the military I would look soooo forward to a military trial for "accidentally" putting a bullet into OBL upon capture). But unlike Obey, I would require domestic agencies like the Department of Education to prove that they can start turning out quality product before pumping more money into that debacle. Any messiness between Obama and Obey would help the republicans in 2012.


Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Here is the lead proponent for government take over of other American industries, Hugo Chavez style. The more bailouts this guy can issue in exchange for government control, the happier this leftist is. Next on the bailout agenda: the US auto industry.


George Miller. Have your heard of the crazy idea to nationalize all retirement plans under one linked to Social Security? Yeah, this is the guy pushing that nuttiness. Here's the real deal...the Social Security fund has been raided over and over again and is backed only by paper that says "I.O.U." This plan is nothing more than a scheme to help boomers realize full retirement benefits and punting the problem to the next generations by leaving them a ticking time bomb goose egg. This pyramid scheme is gaining traction with Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.



Watch to see whether Obama gets his middle class tax cuts or if this "plan" goes forward...both cannot succeed.


Want to know who will be leading the way to waste precious time in Congress to pursue the indictment of George W. Bush for war crimes after he's out of office? That would be John Conyers (D-MI). He may establish himself as one of the many poster boys for how democratic partisanship will get in the way of convincing the remaining republicans in Congress to get on board with Obama initiatives.



Pete Stark (D-CA). Like Charles Schumer, Representative Stark will be not only pushing for national health care, he'll be pushing the Canada model of a single-payer system...you know...the one that has Canadians crossing the border into America to get basic care because of the long wait times. Liberals like Stark refuse to understand that there is nothing wrong with American health care except for the access to it.



Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV). He's already throwing down the gauntlet to moderates like Joe Lieberman by taking bi-partisans like him to the woodshed by threatening to unseat them on key committees. Way to go Harry...keep showing the true colors of the new "it's our way or the highway" partisan democratic leadership while claiming a bi-partisan vision.



House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). This one's a hard nut to crack. According to the WSJ, she's laying down plans for a permanent tax CUT. That's so...George Bush! What the hey? Maybe republican ideas are only bad when their republican ideas? Now that they're out of office, Pelosi's Ministry of Truth is now starting to tout the same ideas from the now outgoing administration. The key thing to look for from Ms. Pelosi is the frequency of her disingenuous missives towards republicans.