People rarely tire of reading the tea leaves when it comes to CEO succession at Goldman Sachs.

The issue has been alive for at least a year now, though we have suggested that the recent pick up in enforcement activity aimed at the gilded bank has likely delayed the departure of CEO Lloyd Blankfein. It's doubtful that he'll step down as long as there is a decent chance that his departure might be seen as a result of enforcement activity. He would like to see the bank through all this--and be the hero. But that hasn't stopped the speculation.

The latest comes from Reuters, which suggests that a new contender has emerged. The head of Goldman Sachs's investment bank, David Solomon, is now considered a "dark horse contender" by some Goldman Sachs executives. Some contend that he is in fact the favorite. He has risen as a candidate in part because he's not seen as overtly controversial. Certainly, the banking side of the house is yearning for one of their own to be installed at the top, breaking the hegemony of the traders.

The other candidates, as we've noted before, include J. Michael Evans and Michael Sherwood, both vice chairmen who have recently been elevated internally. Evans co-chaired the committee that created new business standards for the bank after its CDO crisis. As it ponders succession issues, the board has a tricky job ahead of it. You get the idea that the issue remains on the front burner, but the transition may well be a year away. It depends a lot on how various enforcement actions go down.

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