congressional protectionism

For anyone wondering if Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Cal.) is in his right mind challenging Rep. John Dingell (Mich.), the longest-serving Democrat in Congress, for the gavel of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, there is this bit of history:
After being elected to his third term in Congress in 1978, Waxman took on Rep. Richardson Preyer [...]

Wow — things are moving quickly in this brave new post-election world.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is planning to take on Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) as head of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, Roll Call reported today. The 27-term Dingell is a monolith in the Democratic [...]