How badly does state Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh, want to become the next chairman of the prestigious and powerful Senate Appropriations Committee?

Badly enough that, where his two rivals contented themselves with single-page letters to their colleagues sketching out their qualifications, Browne’s sprawled to a mind-bogglingly detailed seven pages in which he explained, among other things, his plans for the position, how he would watch over tax money and how he would streamline the annual trial by fire known as passing the state budget.

The performance was vintage Browne, who’s known for being obsessed with details and unafraid to get elbow-deep into legislation.