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Hey, good morning, Playbookers.

I'm Rooko Mnobo-Movallon. It's Thursday.

Today's show, an update on House STEM Leadership.

It's your Politico Playbook Daily briefing.

Since election day, the drama in the House had been concentrated on the GOP side, as Kevin McCarthy tries to overcome a Magal World mutiny to get the Speaker's gavel.

And Democrats smoothly elect three new leaders to succeed Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, and Jim Clyburn.

But it turns out things aren't all kumbaya in the House-stem caucus.

Amid some Democrats' discontentment about Clyburn's insistence on staying in leadership,

Representative David Cicillini has decided to challenge him for the assistant leader job.

That's a vote that'll happen later today.

And then there's an intense whisper campaign happening behind the scenes

about a bid from Representative Tony Cardenas to head the D-Triple-C,

one that compiles ugly past allegations about sexual assault, as well as new alleged connections

to a man known as the boogeyman of porn.

First, let's start with Clyburn.

Most Democrats expected him to gracefully step aside with Pelosi and Hoyer.

And his insistence on remaining in leadership, big-footed Colorado representative Joe

Noghuse, forcing the young up-and-coming black Democrat to abandon his own bid for caucus

chair.

Time political correspondent Molly Ball tweeted Wednesday.

When I interviewed Pelosi, Hoyer, and Clyburn for my book, Clyburn was the only one

...