| Fifth district Representative Keith Ellison is being considered for the chair of the Democratic Progressive Caucus in the next Congress.
Ellison cruised to an easy reelection earlier this month, and will be entering his second term in Washington in January. But with expanded numbers in the caucus and the Democratic conference as a whole, as well as a heavier Democratic majority in the Senate and the Obama administration working from the White House, the left-leaning caucus may see an opportunity to pass a strong slate of progressive legislation starting in 2009 -- and it appears that Ellison is positioned to play a leading role in that effort.
Rumors of Ellison's name coming up in discussions of Progressive Caucus leadership surfaced early this week. I spoke with an Ellison staffer who confirmed that the Congressman is up for the job, but contingent upon the decision of the caucus to go with a single chairperson rather than the co-chair setup it currently has. Word from the staffer is that Congressman Ellison is "fine either way -- more interested in moving the progressive agenda forward than who does it." |
