"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., claimed she was neutral in the Dingell-Waxman contest. Reliable sources said she twisted arms in favor of Mr. Waxman. She hated Mr. Dingell's independence. In the end, Mr. Waxman won; the vote was 137 to 122.
This is a signal. There has been all of this speculation that President-elect Barack Obama has to govern as a moderate. Don't you believe it. With an activist leftist like Mr. Waxman winning in the Democrat caucus, it is clear this is Mr. Obama's preference.
Had the president-elect, with his strong mandate, indicated he needed Mr. Dingell to help govern as a moderate, he would have prevailed. Right now the president-elect has that kind of credibility. John Dingell became the first sacrificial lamb of the move to the left."