By Russell Berman
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (Conn.) angered other high-ranking Democrats Friday by releasing a leadership election schedule that seemingly seals his own re-election as the 1st order of business. House Democrats said late this week they still are holding out hope that an agreement can be reached before lawmakers return next week for a lame-duck session.
Larson currently the 4th-ranking House Democrat circulated an official announcement of next Wednesdays leadership elections in which the post of Caucus Chairman would be decided first & the partys only contested election for minority whip would be decided last.
Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and James Clyburn (D-S.C.) are vying for whip and Larsons plan would preclude either Hoyer or Clyburn from challenging the Connecticut Democrat for caucus chairman if they lost the whips race a scenario that many Democrats but certainly not Larson had hoped for.
Larson announced the schedule without consulting other members of the leadership team aides said including Hoyer and Clyburn. The move set off a series of recriminations among Democratic leadership offices and at least one office complained directly to Larson.
Its an incumbent-protection move by Larson" a leadership aide said. 
There should have been negotiations."
Under Larsons plan lawmakers will first vote for the caucus chairman then minority leader caucus vice chairman and finally minority whip. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has yet to be challenged for minority leader and neither has Larson nor Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) who is running to keep his job as vice chairman.
Larsons office said the order of elections was set based on precedent with the contested election coming at the end. The caucus chairman would be elected first an aide said so he could then preside over the remaining contests. This is based on how it has been done in the past" the Larson aide said. We wanted to make it as equal as possible" for the other candidates.
Other leadership offices however mocked that explanation. There is no precedent" a senior Democratic leadership aide said.
The real way its done is everyone talks and decides together the order. Its negotiated each time so the idea of precedent is simply not true."
The Democratic leaders declined to comment on the record not wanting to escalate tensions in an already fraught leadership battle. Larsons move could complicate efforts by party leaders to negotiate a resolution to the contentious whip race which is forcing House Democrats to choose between two popular party elders. Hoyer has amassed a significant lead among declared supporters but his office has stopped announcing new endorsements after an initially aggressive posture failed to force Clyburn to accept a deal for a lower post likely caucus chairman. Clyburns office however released a busy travel schedule for the congressman on Friday and Monday a signal that he would not be holed up
in Washington for negotiations.
One idea gaining favor among the party rank-and-file is for Pelosi to create a new post to accommodate the caucuss full slate of elected leaders.
A Pelosi spokesman has said publicly that she wants both Hoyer and Clyburn to remain in leadership but with fewer positions in the minority at least one member of the current team would be squeezed out.
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.) told The Hill that party leaders would create the number of positions that are needed" so that both Hoyer and Clyburn can stay in leadership.
I fully expect that were going to have an arrangement where both Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn are in the leadership of the caucus" he said.
Fattah who is mounting a longshot bid for ranking member of the Appropriations Committee said that in his calls with 60 to 70 members of the Democratic caucus there was a widespread desire to make sure both Hoyer and Clyburn remained in leadership. The conversations reflect a sentiment voiced earlier in the week by Rep. Charles Rangel (N.Y.) who told the New York Observer: If I had my druthers Id just put another chair up there. What the hell? Some Democrats believe thats exactly what Pelosi will do. Theres a lot of flexibility there in terms of bringing people into the leadership mix" a senior Democratic aide said. The Speaker can do whatever she wants." After the 2008 election Pelosi created the appointed post of assistant to the Speaker to give the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) a seat at the table and an expanded policy portfolio. As minority leader Pelosi would be working with a much smaller budget but she could divide that money into even smaller chunks
to create one or more additional positions the staffer said.
Yet if Pelosi wants to avoid a caucus vote between Hoyer and Clyburn she will have to come up with a post that allows either Democrat to save face.
The Congressional Black Caucus has intensified its lobbying for Clyburn who has thus far rejected the idea of accepting a lower position or another plum such as a ranking membership of the Appropriations Committee or one of its subcommittees.
Barring a change Larsons move would take away one of Clyburns options if he loses to Hoyer. He either needs to cut a deal or go forward with a vote" one leadership aide said.
As for Larson the announced schedule may help avoid a challenge but it may leave a bitter taste with other party leaders. Larson also raised eyebrows late last month when a report appeared prior to the midterm elections that he was considering a challenge to Hoyer for the minority leader post before Pelosi decided to seek it herself.
