WASHINGTON -- In January, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) was damaged goods. He was struggling to distance himself from Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke after revelations that he spoke at a 2002 gathering hosted by a white supremacist group. It was not the image the GOP wanted to project heading into a presidential election. Now, just 10 months later, Scalise may instead take on an even bigger role in the party and become majority leader, helping shape the direction and policies of House Republicans. House Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) surprise announcement Friday that he would resign Oct.