Waxman wins

Waxman beat out John Dingell for chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee by 15 votes.

This is great news. Dingell was always a problem and didn't address global warming at all. Dingell was considered the front runner for a while because of his bluster. It appears Waxman's quite command of the votes won out. I am glad that he won for two reasons. First, I care about global warming. Second, I think it is important to have someone in the position who can work the system and muster the votes he needs to get stuff done.

Updated: Interesting quote from Steve Benen

I honestly expected Dingell to prevail. He's been in the House for 27 terms, made a lot of friends, and had organized a large whip team to help him keep his gavel. Giving the gavel to Waxman, Dingell kept reminding us, would represent a shift to the left on energy policy.

Good. Just as Daschle and Baucus have made reform of the healthcare system more likely, Waxman's new committee chairmanship makes a meaningful energy bill more likely.