Well, that's open to debate. . . .
Posted on 11/25/2006 11:42:02 AM PST by aculeus
LOS ANGELES - The lawmaker poised to cause the Bush administration's biggest headaches when Democrats take control of Congress may just be a grocer's son from Watts who's hardly a household name off Capitol Hill.
Rep. Henry Waxman has spent the last six years waging a guerrilla campaign against the White House and its corporate allies, launching searing investigations into everything from military contracts to Medicare prices from his perch on the Government Reform Committee.
In January, Waxman becomes committee chairman - and thus the lead congressional hound of an administration many Democrats feel has blundered badly as it expanded the power of the executive branch.
Waxman's biggest challenge as he mulls what to probe?
"The most difficult thing will be to pick and choose," he said.
The choices he makes could help define Bush's legacy.
"There is just no question that life is going to be different for the administration," said Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., the current committee chairman. "Henry is going to be tough. ... And he's been waiting a long time to be able to do this."
Waxman, 67, is in his 16th term representing a Los Angeles district that has migrated west over the years to take in some of the country's most exclusive real estate: Bel Air, Malibu, Beverly Hills. It's worlds from the apartment he grew up in over his father's grocery store, in a predominantly black neighborhood where, he said, "There was one other Jewish kid - my sister."
The glitz of his district hasn't rubbed off. He remarks wryly that Malibu's celebrity beach-access disputes are, luckily, not a federal issue. And he's never been to the Oscars.
At first he wasn't invited, and now, "I have this reputation of never having gone." Why ruin it?
Balding, and quiet-spoken, with glasses, a snub-nose and a mustache, the 5-foot-5-inch Waxman isn't an in-your-face political bruiser. But he doesn't shrink from a fight.
At age 28 he challenged and beat a Democratic incumbent to win a seat in the state Assembly. Once in Congress, he muscled aside a more senior lawmaker to become chairman of an Energy and Commerce subcommittee, using the post to summon the heads of big tobacco to the famous 1994 hearing, depicted in the movie "The Insider," at which they testified that nicotine wasn't addictive.
"One of the biggest miscalculations of corporate America," Waxman now calls that.
Waxman also protected and strengthened the Clean Air Act, expanded Medicaid coverage for poor children and wrote a landmark AIDS care bill. Then Democrats lost control of Congress in 1994.
The minority party in the House has few rights, and Democrats have complained that GOP leaders completely shut them out from writing legislation.
So, Waxman said, "I recreated myself as an investigator."
The makeover was a success.
When he became top Democrat of the Government Reform Committee in 1997, Waxman realized that he didn't have to settle for playing defense like most in the House minority. He took advantage of the committee's large staff to hire talented investigators to pursue projects large and small.
His targets have ranged from why the Taekwondo Union was allowing 12- and 13-year-olds to kick opponents in the head, to Medicare drug costs and baseball steroid use, to abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib and government contracts given to Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, Halliburton.
After agitating by Waxman, the State Department had to revise a report claiming terrorism had decreased in 2003, to reflect that it actually had increased.
Waxman found overbilling on Katrina contracts and overbilling by Halliburton in Iraq. He revealed that seniors wouldn't really save on premiums by switching to the government's Medicare drug plan. With Davis, he issued a report documenting extensive contacts between the White House and convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The Taekwondo Union agreed to prohibit head kicks by anyone under 14.
And when Bush administration resistance meant he didn't get results, Waxman got headlines for trying.
As Government Reform chairman, Waxman will aim to reassert congressional checks on the executive branch. A priority are government contracts: for Hurricane Katrina cleanup, homeland security and the Iraq war.
Contrary to Republican portrayals, Waxman said he doesn't plan to issue scattershot subpoenas. He said he has little interest in revisiting Bush administration failures that are already well known, such as Iraq war intelligence.
He wants to do it all with the help of Republicans.
"We want to return to civility and bipartisanship," Waxman said. "Legislation ought to be based on evidence, not ideology."
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.
He can hide WMDs in his nostrils.."Beware of little men!"
Well of course he will. Henry Nosewax is a disgusting partisan hack -- what in hell else would he do?
"Little piggy man!
Well, that's open to debate. . . .
Has Waxman been involved in the unofficial hearings that the Dems have held over these six years? Of course, C-Span often found time in their schedule for these show trials, though they had little time for President Bush.
Another AP butt-kisser of an article.
What a fricking hypocrite. Where was Waxman at during the Clinton scandals? Typical Rat politician getting the reach around from the AP.
Just another one of Pelosi's Posse getting ready to mount up and ride.
Just don't expect to have a Rooster Cogburn on your side to go charging off after him.
When I call Waxman a Rat I mean it in the political sense, the social sense, and the Animal Planet sense.
"Waxman's biggest challange as he mulls what to probe?"
This sentence is fataly flawed, tragically punctuated and
dripping with anal allusion.
Beyond this the reporter is obviously anticipating a
grueling and forthcoming hearing.
Then Mr. Waxman laughed and said: I"m kidding"
Listen ...the man has a Genetic pre-disposition to
an excessive oxygen intake...This can lead to a dangerous unbalance in keatone production, and cause delusions and hemorrhoidal scaring ....do not make fun of this person
We know what Waxman's agenda is: to undermine Bush's efforts during a time of war.
If it looks like a, Dork and quacks like a dork, Its a dork.
Oh!! thats supposed to be duck isnt it?
Oh well !! same difference.
Waxman couldnt make it anywhere else ,he is a professional stirrer of unmentionable stinks,because he isnt smart enough to do anything else.
Finger shaped Nose and Ear hair trimmer so Waxman will feel comfortable. Those nostrils are no accident.
Bat Boy!!!!
For pity's sake, doesn't Rove or someone have an "enemies list"? This slimy creep must have left a trail that needs exposing.
"Waxman's Witchhunt"
--This sentence is fataly flawed, tragically punctuated and dripping with anal allusion.--
With the RATS, that's par for the course.
Well, writer could have ... Hmmm ... No.
henry waxman, the posterboy for why we should be taxing air.
"We want to return to civility and bipartisanship,"
I always sight in onto those with whom I seek harmony.
Many women have over the years had nose jobs done to obtain the perfect "ski jump" little nose.
Waxman is by far the ugliest man in Congress.
I know that's a cheap shot, but it's true. And what's weirdest, is he's the Congressman from Malibu! Go figure. The Congressman from the land of the beautiful people is the ugliest man in Congress.
Waxman needs an apple in his mouth and a full potato, carrot and parsley garnish on a large silver platter.
--"The most difficult thing will be to pick and choose," he said. --
"Picking" is quite dangerous; you need pitons, picks and shovels to climb up the Nostril Caverns, in search of Waxman's Smug Socialist Snot.
Uglier than this man?
Waxman is a friend of my wife's family (despite the political differences), and I've gotten a chance to meet him. He's actually a pretty friendly guy.
My prediction is that DU will turn on this guy in about a year. He's liberal, but he's no moonbat. He's going to put some limits on investigations if they turn into fishing expeditions.
I'm more concerned about the Democrats who don't have a shred of ethics, such as Murtha and Conyers.
Henry Waxman lecturing us on Civility and Bipartisanship is like Martha Stewart lecturing us on the roll of the linebacker. Henry wouldn't recognize civility if it bit him on his tiny little...
--Go figure. The Congressman from the land of the beautiful people is the ugliest man in Congress. --
That explains his grudges against anyone who's successful.
"waxman has bush administration in signts..."
what's with this war rhetoric with these obnoxious leftists....are they really engaged in a coup but they just don't want to say it?....(do they think that no one can see what they're doing under the covers?)
EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT YOU ARE DOING MESSERS LEFTIST.......WHY DON'T YOU JUST 'FESS UP AND BEAR THE CONSEQUENCES?
Wonder what the spawn of a Waxman / Helen Thomas love affair would look like?..
Waxman is an evil man. He has total tunnel vision, and doesn't care who or what he destroys when he is on a scent-unless it is a Demorat.
He would do anything to keep a Dem in office, and there is no Republican alive who will pass his litmus tests.
I truly hate both him and Maxine Waters, and they both come from the same vicinity. It is a testament to the stupidity of the blacks and others in the area of Watts that they keep getting voted into office.
Waxman is an evil man. He has total tunnel vision, and doesn't care who or what he destroys when he is on a scent-unless it is a Demorat.
He would do anything to keep a Dem in office, and there is no Republican alive who will pass his litmus tests.
I truly hate both him and Maxine Waters, and they both come from the same vicinity. It is a testament to the stupidity of the blacks and others in the area of Watts that they keep getting voted into office.
It helps the Dems to have the media on their side, doesn't it.
I'm guessing Republicans will only get their arguments into the mainstream media insofar as they impact the 2008 presidential campaign.
He had better be sure that no one has ever seen him so much as spit on the street. IOW let he who casts the first stone...etc.
Or... the walking advertisement for partial birth abortion.
Actually, he looks just like an alien to me.
Odds are it was a credit grocery.
Odds are it accepted food stamps.
If my dog was as ugly as henry waxman, I'd shave her a*s and train her to walk backwards.
He revealed that seniors wouldn't really save on premiums by switching to the government's Medicare drug plan.
That's an outright lie and he's full of shiite.
Everyone on Medicare, the 'Seniors' - and especially the disabled - are saving a ton with Plan D. And while 'Seniors' can/could get additional private insurance that covers drug costs which Pig Nose Man references (and by Federal Law no less), the Disabled can NOT. Private Insurers won't touch them. Under 65 need not apply - period (after all they're sick and disabled). Only until Plan D came into effect were the Disabled able to save any money on prescriptions. Prior to that is was full retail price, and not the 'retail price' that an insurance company pays either.Waxman can go take a flying leap.Most plans are $25-$35 a month with a $5.00 copay - some plans have a zero copay. The monthly premium is effected by the particular state and its laws and what plan options you'd select so it varies.
Additionally, the actual costs of Plan D are way, way, WAY under the original gubmint estimated cost (a 1st in History) and to boot everyone (the vast majority) is happy with it. Everyone with a brain and who can read that is.
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