Nancy Pelosi Faces Off Rivals In Her Own Party

Unions of the heartland, meet the environmentalist from the coast. Two traditional constituencies for the Democratic party -- automaker unions, and environmental advocates -- are gearing up for a showdown in the House this week, as it considers the first major upgrade to the nation's fuel economy standards in a generation.

The Senate has already mustered the political will to mandate a fleetwide increase from about 25 to 35 mpg over the next five years. It was heralded as a victory, though it came years after public support fell clearly in line with greater efficiency and was among the few progressive measures included in the Senate energy bill. The Senate did not require utilities to generate a set percentage of electricity from renewable sources, for instance, another measure the House will consider this week.

Now, on to the house, where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will have to win concessions from longtime power brokers like John Dingell. Politics as usual? Unfortunately, what the nation needs is historic action -- far more, in fact, than even a big boost in fuel economy -- for an issue (global warming, or energy independence if you prefer) that is historic. The House decision on fuel economy will go down as either a milestone, or another sad missed opportunity.

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