Dicks bent on appropriations gavel

In today’s Politico, Jonathan Allen covers Rep. Norman Dicks’s desire to assume the chairmanship of the House Appropriations Committee. Dicks seeks to succeed the retiring David Obey as chairman of the committee. Allen reports that Dicks began burning up the phone lines as soon as Obey announced last Wednesday that he would not seek reelection.
Dicks’s Democratic rival for the chairmanship of the committee in the next Congress is Rep. Chaka Fattah. According to Allen, Fattah “said he jumped into the race so quickly — even before Obey’s announcement was official — because he felt Dicks’s supporters wanted to anoint Dicks.” Allen notes that Rep. James Moran supports Dicks. On that we can all agree.
The email touting today’s stories from Politico flags Allen’s story with the headline I have borrowed above. In the editorial process something considerably more pedestrian emerged. We pray that Republicans pick up the 40 seats necessary to forestall the reign of Dicks.