I'm getting ready to catch an early flight so I'll just make a quick observation.

I see a bit of a pattern to Obama's cabinet picks so far.

In the foreign policy realm there's the big shot "team of rivals" thing going on.

For many of the domestic posts, the picks have been pretty mundane -- hand the Ag Dept to a former farm state governor, give Ed and Transportation to inoffensive politicians from your home state, etc.

The environmental/energy/science picks are more interesting. Nobel prize winning physicist with a background in altnerative energy and climate change to Energy (Chu), another well regarded physicst with a major interest in alternative enrgy to WH Science Advisor (John Holdren), a highly decorated marine biologist who is big and very outspoken on climate change to NOAA, former EPA head Carol Browner, also very big on climate change, to the White House staff. Less prominent is the EPA head Lisa Jackson, head of the NJ state env agency, who apparently has taken some hits for not doing enough about toxic waste but who is, again, very big on alternative energy. Interior to Ken Salazar, most likely due to the Hispanic background and connection to ranchers, but, he also has made energy a big priority.

Even in Vilsack's case, he's outspoken on climate change and ethanol. Obvious reasons for him to think that given Iowa corn, but still, Obama chose him rather than an inoffensive democrat from a state big on potatoes or cotton.

Likewise General Jones for Natl Security Advisor, in addition to the regular military creds his big project of late has been... energy security.

Pretty consistently, in any job where there is a connection to climate change or alternative energy, Obama is picking someone who is hard over on believing in global warming and pushing alternative energy, often someone with top-notch scientific credentials.

It's a noticable contrast to the mixed, moderate, and mundane picks for a number of other positions. The US Trade Rep, for example, is expected to be the inoffensive former mayor of Dallas. Nice guy, first African American in that job, but not prior trade background. That's not who you'd pick if renegotiating NAFTA was going to be a serious priority of yours.

If I had to place bets, I'd bet that we're going to see climate change and alternative energy as the campaign pledges that Obama actually chooses to push hard. It's clearly where he's bulking up on talent.

Side note: this pattern does not bode well for Mike Griffin.....