Democratic 'old bulls' to take charge

Whatever!

It is a freakin' relief!

Democratic 'old bulls' to take charge - Los Angeles Times:

WASHINGTON — When Rep. John D. Dingell was new to Congress, Buddy Holly ruled the charts, Rosa Parks refused to budge from her seat on a segregated bus and Dwight D. Eisenhower occupied the White House.

And on Capitol Hill, congressional committee chairmen ruled like feudal lords over federal policy, pursuing pet causes and waging vendettas with near impunity.

In time, Dingell became one of the most fearsome.

Now Dingell, the longest-serving member of the House, and other veteran Democrats are poised to take charge of the most powerful committees when Congress convenes in January.

In the four decades that Democrats were the dominant party, chairmen's foibles, however egregious, did not threaten the party's grip on power. But with narrower margins of control and an electorate willing to switch allegiances, there is no such assumption these days.

The question now is whether the 'old bulls' like Dingell know it, and if they know it, whether they can adjust.

'This majority is not the kind of majority that we used to have, and it remains to be seen whether they understand that,' said one senior Democratic staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.