As I reported last week, U.S. Rep. Todd Platts, R-York County, has applied to take over as head of the Government Accountability Office in Washington, D.C.
You can read about it here.
He's one of 17 or so applicants for the job, called "comptroller general." The other day, I was talking to my Dad (Hi Dad!) about it. My Dad speculated that since the president ultimately makes the appointment, Platts would be a long shot because Obama might want to save the appointment for a Democrat.
Granted, I'm no expert on the process. But I think Platts might have a good shot.
I wish I could say that I broke this story, but it was actually a publication called "The Hill," which is published primarily for members of Congress and their staffers. "The Hill" writer Susan Crabtree (whom I contacted and who seems really cool) cited a "congressional source" for the news of Platts' application.
I subsequently contacted Platts, who confirmed it.
Anyway, Ms. Crabtree writes that it's very rare for a sitting member of Congress to apply for the post. I don't have her sources in Congress, and a spokeswoman for the Congressman who's in charge of the commission that picks the comptroller general declined to name any of the other applicants for me.
All that is just a really long, roundabout way of saying that I don't know who the other applicants are, but it's a safe bet that none of them is another member of Congress. So it's not like Obama would be choosing between Platts and a Democratic counterpart for the post.
And giving Platts the job might be a good gesture on Obama's part in the name of bipartisanship. I doubt it would carry any liability for the administration.
One reason for that is Platts himself. He certainly has his share of detractors around here. But not even his critics can credibly attack him for being crooked or financially irresponsible. Take it from a guy who goes through Platts' federal campaign filings every time he runs for re-election.
Another reason is the nature of the comptroller's job. If I understand it correctly, he'd be a kind of auditor charged with making sure federal money is spent efficiently and goes where it's supposed to go. It's not a job that would afford him the opportunity to block administration policy, even if he were so inclined.
And Platts has always done a pretty good job of making friends on both sides of the aisle. He recently submitted a letter to the commission that appoints the comptroller with more than 100 signatures from members of Congress supporting his bid. More than 30 of them were from Democrats.
Platts is pretty soft-spoken in person, so this might surprise anyone who's ever met him. But he's got a reputation as something of a maverick in Congress. In the past, he's been willing to buck his party's leadership on certain issues.
I've heard that when Tom DeLay was Republican majority leader, he wouldnt even talk to Platts when they'd pass in the hallways.
Like Patts himself, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
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