Whip It! Whip It Good!

With apologies to Devo, this arrived in the inbox today:

Late yesterday, Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8th district) was selected by Democrats in the House of Representatives from the states of Pennsylvania , Ohio and Kentucky to represent them as a Regional Whip.

Congressman Murphy, a former U.S. Army Captain and Iraq war veteran will join the whip team of House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC) for the 110th Congress. In this leadership role, Rep. Murphy will lend greater voice to the needs of Pennsylvania families in Congress.

"As an Iraq war veteran and former constitutional law professor at West Point , Patrick Murphy is a born leader who will deliver for the families back home," said Rep. James E. Clyburn, House Majority Whip. "Few freshmen were selected for this position, and as a regional whip, he will be a valuable asset both to Pennsylvania families and to his fellow members of Congress."

For those who hear "whip" and think leather, etc. the press release offers this historical tidbit:

The term "whip" is derived from the British Parliament which adopted the term from the fox-hunting position "whipper-in," the rider who kept the fox hounds gathered together behind their mission. The whip's job in Congress is to gather support for legislation when it comes to the floor for a vote. The Democratic Caucus relies on the whip team to pull together the votes to pass its agenda.

Thank you for clearing that up.