In the record books, the score of last week's competition among House Democrats will have to read Aging Conservatives 4, Youngish Reformers 0. The oldsters in the party caucus defeated several moves: to 1) set an age limit of 70 for committee chairmen; 2) restrict them to eight years of service; 3) elect a Northern liberal instead of a Southern conservative to the Ways and Means Committee; 4) oust one incumbent chairman. Yet the ferment itself indicated the changing tone in the tradition-minded House of Representatives; the seniority system is no longer...
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