Tipsheet

He Sure Knows How To Pick 'Em

Capricia Penavic Marshall, Obama's nominee for the chief of protocol for the State Department, failed to file tax returns for two years, though she corrected the problem in November. Marshall blames her husband for the lapse. She also said that the Postal Service was to blame, after the IRS "advised us that there were a large number of tax returns misplaced by the D.C. post office for the 2006 tax year." In other words, it's everyone's fault but hers.

The chief of protocol plans events for foreign heads of states and assists with the President's and Vice President's travels abroad, and has the same status as an Ambassador.