U.S. Rep. Mel Watt voted for Dingell.
The issue, the Charlotte Democrat told Dome the issue, wasn't who would make the better chairman. Either man, he said, would make an excellent choice.
"I just thought it was a mistake, without having concrete and compelling reasons, to start disregarding the seniority system," Watt said. "We need a more concrete standard than popularity. … The best person is in the eye of the beholder, and the most senior person is not."
Watt, who has been in Congress since 1992, said shifting the standard opens the door to appointing top positions based on such issues as friendship, political donations and ideology.
"I think you open (the process) up to substantial problems going forward," Watt said. "I think it's inevitable."
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