Rift Over Key Committee Post Threatens To Distract Democrats From Agenda

A fight is intensifying over whether Rep John Dingell (D-MI) should continue to head the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, fraying unity among House Democrats soon after they widened their majority in the chamber. Rep Henry Waxman (D-CA) said the day after the Nov. 4 election that he would challenge Mr. Dingell for the chairmanship. The tiff threatens to distract House Democrats from implementing the policy goals of President-elect Barack Obama and their party. "Congressional committee battles can be more vicious than presidential elections, and can leave lasting scars that can directly affect a president's program," said Larry Sabato, a political-science professor at the University of Virginia.