Originally Posted by Honus

Partisanship is a matter of degree, I think. There's a good quote from Barney Frank about it (which I can't find). Someone called him a partisan. He said something like, "You're darn right I am. That's what my constituents elected me to be." Waxman seems to have a similar mindset. The problem with partisanship comes when people don't know when to stop. Waxman's record of accomplishment suggests to me that, despite his partisan bent, he knows how to work with people to get things done.

I say all of this having observed him from a distance and being a fan of his performance in committee hearings on CSpan. Perhaps we have some of his constituents here who can comment on his strengths and weaknesses as a Congressman.

And I really would appreciate your letting me in on the conspiracy joke. I still can't figure out what it has to do with Waxman.