Washington City Paper introduces its readers to their potential future overlord: Jason Chaffetz.---

In a detailed cover story, the alt-weekly for Washington, D.C. digs into the background of Utah's own Rep. Jason Chaffetz to introduce/scare residents about the man who will, most likely, be in charge of the congressional committee that oversees the district's affairs. Overall, it's a great overview of the freshman representative.

For any Utahn remotely familiar with Chaffetz, the story treads across a lot of familiar ground, including his time working for former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and his surprise upset of then-Rep. Chris Cannon in 2008. It also recounts the many ways in which Chaffetz has become a media star (cough, cough ... media whore ... cough, cough) by impressing the likes of Glenn Beck and Stephen Colbert with his intelligence and wit.

That said, it's not a fawning profile, and for D.C. residents, it's probably enough to get them very concerned. After all, Chaffetz believes that D.C. is not a state, but subject to Congressional rule. That means, for practical debates, that should Chaffetz take over the committee, the city's legalization of gay marriage and its strict gun laws could be overturned. Oh, and forget about getting that Voting Rights Bill through. (To be fair, he does support folding most of the residential areas of D.C. into Maryland, and leaving the government-centric areas under the federal control).

For political junkies, read to the end, which is where the newish nuggets can be found. When asked about his plans to run against Sen. Orrin Hatch in 2012, Chaffetz simply says he's a "definite maybe." Although he doesn't say it, the article also points out that Chaffetz could very easily use the oversight of D.C. to reinforce his conservative credentials in Utah (because he needs that ... right?). Additionally, taking on high profile battles like the above-mentioned gay marriage would ensure that Chaffetz remains in the national spotlight, probably much more than Hatch.

Anyhow, it's a good read for a long lunch. Enjoy it.