Hopeful GOPers Audition for House Commerce gavel

Reps Fred Upton (R-MI), Joe Barton (R-TX), John Shimkus (R-IL) and Cliff Stearns (R-FL) made their presentations to the GOP Steering Committee in hopes of being named chairman of the powerful House Commerce Committee. The panel, loaded with loyalists to incoming Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), is expected to make its decision by Dec 7.

The favorite is Rep Upton, but Rep Barton, who’s fighting to retain his spot as the panel’s top Republican, isn't planning to stand aside. He appeared before the steering panel with the Commerce gavel in hand to show he deserves to remain atop the panel. Rep Barton would need a term-limit waiver to take the chairmanship, but he’s not expected to get one. Rep Upton – who’s come under fire from the right – pitched his conservative credentials, laying out his plans to assail the Obama administration’s energy and health care policies and slash federal spending. "I'm doing my best to stay on message," Rep Upton told reporters afterward, emphasizing cutting federal spending, using oversight to identify fraud and abuse and not only repealing President Obama's health care plan "but we've got to take it apart brick by brick. And we're going to do that."