Larson Likely To Become House Democratic Caucus Chief

By GottaLaff

Who will replace Rahm Emanuel? Why, none other than:

...Rep. John B. Larson is already considered a lock to take over the chairmanship of the Democratic caucus in the House. He would be the fourth-most-powerful person in House leadership, three rungs under Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

With just days left before next week's caucus vote settles those leadership positions, Larson is counting on support from at least two-thirds of his colleagues, an aide said.

The chairman's position — held most recently by Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel, tapped to be President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff — is among those that formulate the Democratic agenda, and with such a strong majority of Democrats in Congress this next session, that's no small thing. [...]

In the interview, in which he took questions during a taping of C-SPAN's "Newsmakers," Larson said his approach would be different from Emanuel's. "How do you replace Rahm Emanuel? The short answer is: You don't. We have completely different styles."

"My role, as I see it, is to shine the spotlight on the many talents that we have in our caucus," he said. In other words: He says he's willing to share his microphone time.

He compared Emanuel with Gen. George S. Patton, the stop-at-nothing warrior, and himself with the less colorful Gen. Omar Bradley, who became the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. [...]

Asked whether the leadership was swinging left after this month's election success, Larson said the agenda would be "center — leaning left — on social issues, and center — leaning right — on fiscal issues." But, he said, "It'll be in the center. We all understand what you have to do."

Among his own priorities: an economic fix, a new health care system and, his staff said, climate-change legislation.

UPDATE: Here's info on his voting record.

H/t: Chris