See USA Today, House Democrats battle over energy panel,
...Dingell is scheduled to co-host a fundraiser Wednesday for incoming members at which PACs are encouraged to give $20,000, according to the watchdog group Public Citizen, which condemned the move.
Dingell "should be aware how suspect it looks for him to be currying favor with incoming legislators the same week the freshmen and sitting members will decide his fate," Joan Claybrook, President of Public Citizen, said in a statement. ...
In 1997, Dingell co-sponsored a bill designed to block Clinton administration rules tightening emissions standards for ozone and particulate matter, though the bill failed after Waxman said he had enough votes to sustain a presidential veto.
And in recent years Dingell opposed attempts to let the EPA regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act, something Waxman supports.
Dingell's wife, Debbie, earns an undisclosed salary as a top executive for General Motors. ...
So what can you do about it? (below)
Here's a phone script, or e-mail script with tweaking, for you to contact your Congressperson:
Hi, I'm [you] and I'm calling [writing] to join Public Citizen in condemning the questionable ethics of Conrgressman Dingell in holding a fundraiser on Wednesday. I would like Congress[man/woman] [whoever] to vote for Henry Waxman as the new Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee to provide the new leadership for change that we need. Thank you!
You can look up Congressional e-mails here; or if you don't have a Democratic congressperson, just mail Nancy herself at AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov.
Also, use the telephone: the ol' Capitol Switchboard is at (202) 224-3121, and can connect you to the office of your rep or of Nancy (well, here's Nancy's number as Speaker, too: (202) 225-0100).
Because if you don't act, others will: cf. this embarrasing e-mail excerpt from the Michigan Democratic Party (the people who brought you the failed January primary hijack attempt...featuring the Dingells):
...The attempt to unseat the Chairman is not only an attack on his position but on the working families and citizens he has fought to protect.
Click here to read and sign our online petition to Speaker Nancy Pelosi...
"Attack on working families"? What dishonest nonsense. Help fight it.
...Actually, why not contact Olbermann, too? Maybe Dingell is one of the "worst people in the world" after all this week. countdown@msnbc.com should be the Countdown e-mail, if you want to send a version of the script above; and I hear Alana Russo at alana.russo@nbcuni.com is one of Keith's assistants or something, if you want to cc to her.
You may not have funds like the fat cats, but you have your valuable citizen voice. Use it well!