Yesterday's 'That Guy' Is Today's 'The Man'

A pair of Harvard Davids -- as in Blumenthal and Cutler -- were top health advisers to the Obama campaign and may decide to leave the Ivy League behind for a while.

. . . and Interior

As the Obama Cabinet starts taking shape, with the economic team falling into place this week and the national security team set to be announced Monday, enviros are waiting to see who picks up the Interior Department portfolio.

The focus, with front-runners seemingly shifting depending on who you talk to, include Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who headed Hispanics for Obama; former Clinton administration deputy interior secretary David Hayes, who's now leading the transition effort; former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber; and Richard Moe, former vice presidential chief of staff to Walter Mondale and now president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Reps. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) are in the mix as well, though enviros seem somewhat less enthusiastic about them.

Following Up

Finally, in the Thanksgiving spirit, we afford space to outgoing Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.), who called yesterday to say that he really did go out of his way during his transition from office to make sure that "the kids in our district" -- high school seniors who needed help getting their applications for U.S. military academies processed -- would be taken care of.

We had written Wednesday that anxious parents had been calling the campaign office of his successor, Kathy Dahlkemper (D), because English's office sent back their applications.

"Obviously a couple of people were upset," he said, but his office had sent back the files with cover letters explaining that Dahlkemper would be making the recommendations and the applicants would be granted more time. "We did follow-ups to everyone we could," he said.

Obviously missed a few. Happy Turkey Day.

With Philip Rucker