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He later added: "If Republicans are going in the wrong direction, I am still willing to stand up against them."

ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS Scalise did upon being sworn in this spring was to join the conservative Republican Study Committee, whose research he had used during his special-election campaign to fill Jindal's empty seat. He was assigned to the Natural Resources Committee -- a good spot, since he already had anticipated the current energy-price problem by long ago making a push for more drilling one of his signature issues.

"We also need to expedite the permitting process for refineries," he told me. On that issue, and on drilling, and on other energy-related issues, Scalise said he is eager to take the fight to liberal Democrats: "They [Democratic leaders] are scared to death on this issue and they don't want their members to vote on it. Nancy Pelosi has her head in the sand on this issue and it's going to catch up with them. Right now, their only response was to sue OPEC!"

Yet with all his enthusiasm and boldness, Scalise does not wear a big ego on his sleeve. Both Legendre (Livingston's top aide) and Gele, independently, volunteered that, in Gele's words, "He is very good about not having an inflated ego, and at constructively taking criticism. He's always one who acts on the warning to not believe your own press releases."

Said Legendre: "He's one of those elected officials who never considers himself above those he governs."

Legendre added this prediction, a prediction quite believable to almost anyone who has watched Scalise's career so far: "I think we're looking at one of the next great conservative leaders in this country. I truly believe that. I think it's only a matter of time before the Sean Hannitys of the world start using his name."

topics:
Taxes, Trade, Nancy Pelosi, Abortion, Constitution, Law, Supreme Court, Energy