Rep. Joe Crowley just got a seat on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, and is contemplating getting a waiver to keep his seat on the Internationals Relations Committee.

Quick, inside-baseball read: Crowley's good relationship with Steny Hoyer is helping him more than his lousy relationship with Nancy Pelosi is hurting him.

-- Azi Paybarah

UPDATE: Crowley just called to contest my characterization of his relationship with the incoming house speaker. "If it wasn't for Charlie Rangel and Nancy Pelosi, I wouldn't be on this committee: no if, ands or butts about it," he said.

As for the recent Democratic leadership race that essentially pitted his team against Pelosi's, Crowley said, "That's behind us."