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It looks like there will be an energetic start to the Obama era

James Forsyth

Thursday, 20th November 2008

All the signs are that we’re going to get serious energy legislation early in the new Congress. First, as Marc Ambinder pointed out, there was Obama’s observation in his 60 Minutes interview that “Now is the time to break” the cycle of oil addiction and his admission that it gets harder the more gas prices fall. Now, in a shock to Washington, there is John Dingell, the veteran Michigan Congressman and solid friend of the auto industry, losing the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to the California Congressman Henry Waxman who takes a far bolder approach to dealing with climate change and energy independence.

Politically, it would be smarter to move energy legislation before pushing on healthcare. It will be easier for Obama to build a broad coalition on the former than the latter and an early legislative success would give him increased momentum going into the healthcare debate.