House Democratic Caucus Chairman James E. Clyburn

UNITED STATES - JUNE 27: At the Dirksen Senate Office Building at the U.S. Capitol, House Democratic Caucus Chairman James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., speaks to a group of activists launching a three-day Christian mobilization called "From Poverty to Opportunity: A Covenant for a New America," an effort by Sojourners and Call to Renewal to put poverty on the national agenda. At left are Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and Sojourners Executive Director Jim Wallis. Sojourners is a Christian ministry heeding "the biblical call to integrate spiritual renewal and social justice." Call to Renewal is a national network of churches, faith-based organizations, and individuals working to overcome poverty in the U.S. Clyburn was not a young man when he first came to Congress; elected at 52, he seemed unworried about cutting a dynamic public figure in Washington. But he was a skilled inside operator, and his political savvy and leadership abilities were recognized early on by his colleagues, who chose him as co-president of the House freshman Class of 1992. Quietly and methodically, he has kept advancing, taking a seat on the Appropriations Committee and serving as Congressional Black Caucus chairman in the 106th Congress, and winning election in the 108th as vice chairman of the Democratic Caucus, the No. 4 position in the House Democratic leadership. In early 2005, Clyburn said he planned to run for caucus chairman when Democrats organize for the 110th. Clyburn was called on by his party after Democrats failed to gain ground on the House GOP majority in the 2004 elections. Analysts said the Democratic disappointment stemmed from their party's weakness among "values voters." Exit polling on Election Day had shown that a substantial number of voters believed moral values were a significant factor in their voting decision. House Democratic leaders put Clyburn, a minister's son, in charge of a party task force charged with reaching out to religious leaders and helping the party frame issues