Rep. John Kline of Minnesota is the front runner to be chosen today as the top Republican on the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, CongressDaily reported. Kline, whose 2nd Congressional District contains St. Olaf and Carleton Colleges, would succeed Rep. Howard P. (Buck) McKeon, who gave up his spot on the education panel to be the senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. Kline, a former Marine, is a reliably conservative member of his party.