Neal Seeks Ways And Means Chair

The chaos among House Ways and Means Cmte Dems is not over, according to a well-sourced report by veteran Boston Globe reporter Susan Milligan.

Her clip, which does not appear to have received much Washington-based attention since its Friday publication, reports that Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) "is planning to seek the chairmanship of the powerful Ways and Means Committee later this year or early next year, once the House resolves ethics questions about the panel's former leader, Charles Rangel."

Among those quoted favorably on Neal is Rep. John Larson (D-CT), who chairs the House Democratic Caucus and is a close ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Larson, whose Hartford-based district borders Neal's Springfield-based district, also serves on Ways and Means and is a long-time friend of Neal. "I think Richie is probably the most capable and knowledgeable person that we have on the Ways and Means Committee,'' Larson told the Globe. "I think he has extraordinary ability, and I think he has the confidence of the members of the Ways and Means Committee."

Although her piece did not quote Neal, Milligan wrote that he did not dispute reports of his serious interest in the chairmanship. "And [Neal] said he was not deterred by Pelosi's decision to give the chairmanship temporarily to Levin," the Globe reported. The top post on Thursday went to Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI), based on seniority--at least, in part.

This development is ominous for House Democrats for several reasons.

-- The expressed interest by Neal and his friends is disruptive for Pelosi, who is coming off a very rocky week--including the Democratic Caucus's forced dismissal of Reps. Rangel and Pete Stark (D-CA) as Ways and Means chairman despite the Speaker's initial support for each. Now, a third chairman (Levin) is being undermined for reasons that seem driven mostly by ambition as opposed to real policy differences. Neal, 61, has not been shy in recent months in signaling his hopes for the chairmanship. This adds to the House Democrats' instability at Ways and Means, and beyond.

-- Neal's interest makes it harder for Levin to settle in and perform his already daunting tasks at Ways and Means. In addition to finding his way on various issues and running the committee, Levin must decide whether and how to take on a challenger in a contest later this year. Another relevant issue, of course, will be whether Democrats retain House control.

--Plus, Levin is 78, recently widowed, and he faces the prospect of significant difficulties in '12 redistricting--in which his district and Detroit's two inner-city districts, now held by Democratic Reps. John Conyers and Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, each must gain about 100,000 people, thus pushing Levin farther into the suburbs. Or, Levin might find himself forced to run against another incumbent.

--These factors suggest that Levin may soon be a lame duck.

As the Globe's Milligan noted, another potential complication might be resentment over the planning of Pelosi allies to oust another senior House Dem from Michigan, following the successful Caucus challenge in November '08 by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) to remove long-time Energy and Commerce Committee chairman John Dingell (D-MI). MA already has one influential House chairman--Rep. Barney Frank of Financial Services. Plus two MA Dems are next in line at other powerful House committees: Reps. Ed Markey at Energy and Commerce, and Jim McGovern at Rules.