Notepad

Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., has officially taken over the chairmanship of the New Democrat Coalition, succeeding Undersecretary of State Ellen O. Tauscher.

Crowley was elected, as expected, by unanimous vote of the 68-member New Democrats, a centrist outgrowth of the Democratic Leadership Council that promotes economic growth and innovation.

A once -- and probably future -- candidate for the elected Democratic leadership, Crowley seems satisfied.

"When one door closes, others open up," Crowley said in an interview Wednesday. "I think it gives me another opportunity to demonstrate my ability to be a leader."

Read more here.