DUNCAN WATCH: New Secretary's Team Meets With Senior Staff

The all-knowing Fritz Edelstein (pictured) just reported that Duncan brought the following folks into a meeting with senior career staff at the USDE this AM:

"* Matt Yale who will be Deputy Chief of Staff and worked with him in Chicago (he will handle scheduling until somebody is hired for that job next week) * Peter Cunningham who has worked 6 years with him in Chicago and will be Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach * Margot Rogers will be the Senior Counselor to the Secretary; she has worked in DC for 17 years * Melanie Munzer will be the White House liaison responsible for arranging schedule C and political appointments * Tony Miller will be Chief Operating Officer; he has worked at McKinsey consulting and most recently for a private equity firm in Los Angeles * Ann Whalen will be his Special Assistant as she was in Chicago * Jonathan Schnur has been working on the stimulus legislation; he now heads the New Leaders for New Schools; he worked under Secretary Riley and also at the White House under President Clinton."

No big surprises there -- Ann Whalen has been named on my Chicago blog among those headed to DC. The real question is what's holding up the announcements of other appointments that need to be made before Duncan can get in the mix.  Is Schnur holding out for Deputy or Undersecretary?  Is LDH still in the mix?  Does Rotherham's near-silence on his blog mean that he's back in the game?  Perhaps Fritz knows.  But he ain't telling yet.