Van Hollen’s ambitions

The Washington Examiner profiled Rep. Chris Van Hollen’s (D-Md.) quick ascent to power yesterday. The impression one takes away from the piece is that Van Hollen is savvy, effective, and most of all, ambitious. But it’s not always a glowing portrait. Consider the emphasized passages:

Van Hollen won his first term in the House after an improbable Democratic primary victory over Kennedy nephew Mark Shriver, whom he took on even in the face of opposition from Hoyer and other senior Democrats, including the Kennedy clan and all its political muscle.

Miller said he was not surprised by Van Hollen’s audacity. Eight years earlier, while serving in the Maryland House of Delegates, Van Hollen took on his own senator, Patricia Sher, a popular longtime state lawmaker who was also a Democrat, but conservative. She had once helped the little-known Van Hollen get elected to the Maryland House by putting his name on her campaign signs.

“She was a good ol’ gal, she smoked, she drank, she enjoyed the beer halls in Silver Spring,” recalled Miller, who is also conservative and backed Sher’s campaign. “But she stayed too long and supported the good ol’ boys, and Chris took advantage of that. He outworked her, he knocked on all the doors. He bested her.”

[snip]

“He’s extremely ambitious,” Miller said of Van Hollen, adding with a laugh, “I was glad to get rid of him in the Senate because he’d have been coming after my job in a few years. Loyalty is not his forte.”

[snip]

With Sen. Barbara Mikulski showing no signs of retiring, a Senate run is probably out, but top congressional aides point out that Hoyer, Pelosi and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn are 20 years older than Van Hollen and that if he bides his time, there will eventually be room for him to move up.

But biding his time has not been Van Hollen’s style on the way to his current spot near the political summit.

“There are people who overstay their time in the spotlight, and Chris sees that and says he is a harder worker and a better candidate,” Miller said.

Watch your back, Mr. Majority Leader.