The chattering class in DC is all up in arms about the potential of a Clinton SoS. I didn't really care before, but if anything, the opposition to it by winders like Broder and Friedman and Dowd should make any blue-blooded blogger desire it much, but I can't get excited about it.

Neither have I been too enthralled over the Lieberman challenge. We are at 58 seats in the Senate now, if Franken and Martin win, and that, with Lieberman, gets us to 60. That's the bigger picture. Lieberman will get his due in 2012, hopefully with Lamont running again-- which I've encouraged him to do every chance I've seen him over the past couple of year since the '06 mid-term.

The real conflict, Matt and Digby are right, is the Dingell versus Waxman battle over the Chairmanship of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Ezra is right too, about this being the first big challenge in the House, over how serious the body is about doing something about global warming, but its bigger than even that looming issue.

Waxman is the one that should win this battle. No ifs ands or buts. If he doesn't, and seniority takes priority over progressive principles, we are not on the right path.