We understand a notice has circulated referencing a request that Congressman Dingell, who leads the House Democrats in the energy conference, made to Sen. Pete Domenici, who is chairing the conference. Mr. Dingell’s staff gave us with a copy of the letter that their boss sent today to Chairman Domenici. The letter pretty much speaks for itself. If you have any questions about this correspondence, please call Jodi Bennett, 225-3641; she’s my counterpart who works for the House Democrats who are part of this conference. (Based on the follow-up message we just received from Congressman Dingell and I’ve copied below, I suspect that Jodi will be more than happy to comment on whether her boss’s letter is being correctly characterized.) "The letter I sent today does not ask for delay, but rather for regular order. Chairman Tauzin's emphasis on open meetings and real negotiations in last year's conference was laudable and would be useful here. I am particularly dismayed that the Republicans still expect only one meeting at the end of next week to ratify a final product that we have not yet seen," said Dingell. # # #