The House election is often portrayed as a choice of substituting Nancy Pelosi as Speaker for Dennis Hastert. Admitted, that's a joyous move but the change at the top would be only part of the picture. Democrats who are now "ranking members" would become committee chairs; Republicans would fall from Committe chairs to ranking members.
A look at the changes made by substituting the current list of committee chairs (Republicans) with the ranking Democratic member on each House committee produces the following changes.
Overall, the 24 Democrats have a Progressive Punch score of 84.15, meaning they cast a "progressive" vote 84% of the time. Current Republican chairs cast a progressive vote just 8.90% of the time. Although this is not a strong a switch as the move from Pelosi (score of 93.62) from Hastert (in the 4s IIRC), it is close. A change of a breathtaking 75% in voting priorities.
A case by case listing and analysis follows below the jump.
Committee Chair Ranking Dem Diff
Agriculture Bob Goodlatte Collin Peterson +52.81
Goodlatte is a tad conservative even by GOP House standards (4.50) but Peterson (D-MN) is one of the most conservative Democrats in the House (57.31).
Appropriations Jerry Lewis David Obey +77.91
The scandal-plagued Lewis, R-CA (9.92) may have a few moderate moments but he's pretty much one of the Kool-aid drinkers. Obey of Wisconsin (87.83) is pretty much a mainstream Democrat. This is a huge change.
Armed Services Duncan Hunter Ike Skelton +54.06
Hunter is a "mainstream" (e.g. radical right) Republican. Skelton is a very conservative Democrat. Not the best replacement here.
Budget Jim Nussle John Spratt +68.27
Nussle is kind of standard issue Republican ambitious (running for Governor of Iowa this year, 7.34) while Spratt (D-SC) is surprisingly moderate/liberal (75.61) for a white, southern Democrat presented as a top GOP target this year. Spratt is similar, but a little more liberal, in his voting to Joe Lieberman.
Education Buck McKeon George Miller +89.79
Both men are from California but there is a world of difference between McKeon (3.67) and Miller (89.79). On a scoring basis, this is the largest change for the whole group.
Energy and Commerce Joe Barton John Dingell +79.03
Barton is not only a willing captive of big oil; he also sold out to the telcos. Dingell is a mainstream Democrat but is nobody's tool. Michigan over Texas, here.
Financial Svcs Mike Oxley Barney Frank +86.53
Oxley from Ohio is retiring but would his replacement score much different thasn Mike's 6.33? Expect to hear more villification from the right about Frank both in the open and in the boardrooms of the banks and brokers. Barney would regulate them, or at least try hard to do so.
Government Reform Tom Davis Henry Waxman +77.82
Davis is almost moderate by GOP standards (13.98) but Waxman would be a tiger who would try to reform rather than privatize via sweet heart deals. Maybe we'd find out where a lot of loose ends really connect.
Homeland Security Peter King Bennie Thompson +74.55
Long Islander King may live in the NY suburbs but Mississippi's Thompson will do a better job of watching our security. King meanwhile is a lapdog rather than the watchdog he claims to be, yapping loudly in public after the damage has been done. Is Peter a New Yorker at heart or a Yorkie? Get the little bow for his head.
House Administration Vern Ehlers Juanita Millender-McDonald
+68.92
Ehlers of Michigan has a 17.89 score, fairly moderate for this group. Millender-McDonald is a mainstream Democrat (86.81) from Southern Cal. Better services for all would result as House Republicans have been pretty partisan in allocating staff and services.
Part Two to follow tommorrow.
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