The abrupt move by McGee also pushed Keverian into an unlikely alliance with the decade-old House reform movement, and alliance that is credited with providing Keverian much of his strength. Keverian, until his removal from the majority leadership, was never in the reformer camp and, in 1983, twice voted against comprehensive legislation to democratize the legislative process in the House.

"Circumstances have brought rules reform and my candidacy together," Keverian told The Crimson this month. But he added, "Absent the rules reform issue, I would still have gained a large number of supporters."

No Chance?

Rep. Thomas J. Vallely (D-Boston), a Keverian supporter, said yesterday that the "Dean" of the House, Anthony M. Scibelli (D-Springfield), who controls the gavel until the new speaker is elected, may decide Keverian has enough support to ask for him to be elected by acclamation.

Goldman, who distributed red buttons to supporters reading "The K Team," says that even if McGee mops up all the undecided representatives, he will still be 12 or 13 votes short in the all-important Democratic caucus.

What a Keverian victory will mean in as yet undetermined. The legislative process has already been loosened over the last year under McGee's rule--in what many see as a response to the Keverian challenge--and many say Keverian would still resist watering down the power of the Speaker as much as the rules reformers would like.

Says Vallely, "I don't think there'll be a bunch of rules reformers running around running the place."