The following editorial appeared in the Dallas Morning News on Wednesday:

The duel the other day between Democratic heavyweights Henry Waxman of California and John Dingell of Michigan was a classic insider's battle: Two tough pols trying to outmuscle each other to lead the House's influential Energy and Commerce Committee.

There wasn't a most likable guy in this race, but popularity wasn't the issue.

At stake for air-breathing, gas-buying Americans was which congressional veteran was more likely to protect the environment and press Detroit to produce cars that consume less gasoline.

For that reason, we're glad Waxman ousted Dingell as chairman. And we hope he takes the committee in a direction on the environment that Dingell proved over many years that he would not.

As a congressman from the auto-producing Detroit area since 1955, Dingell showed little interest in having automakers get with the modern world and rethink the average fuel economy for cars and light trucks. Some, like New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, believe he even loved Detroit to death by not forcing it to keep up with energy-conscious foreign manufacturers.

By contrast, look for Waxman to demand that the Big Three make more cars that pollute less. Look for him, too, to be less friendly with the coal industry. And look for him to lead, not retard, efforts to keep the climate from changing so fast.

Of course, the Beverly Hills legislator will need his committee to make these things happen. Yes, he's the chairman, but he won that post by only three votes. A partisan to his core, he must employ more finesse than he has shown in his 34 years in the House. His modus operandi of burying anyone who gets in his way, particularly Republicans, won't achieve the broad consensus needed to make these changes last.

But at least he starts out headed in the right direction. Families with kids who can't breathe and who spent last summer running up their credit card bills to pay for gasoline should see some relief.