Good Thursday morning. Take that, Tony Kornheiser! The popular ESPN host watched his Binghampton Bearcats go down to the mighty George Washington University Colonials here in Washington last night. Here's what the rest of the Beltway is watching today:

-- Barack Obama is speeding up the Cabinet picks, with Eric Holder tapped earlier this week as Attorney General, Tom Daschle reportedly planning to take over the Department of Department of Health and Human Services and Bob Gates negotiating his continued tenure at the Pentagon. Last night, Politico's Mike Allen added another name to the list in Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, who will be tapped to lead the Department of Homeland Security. The two-term Democrat has long been an Obama backer and wanted a position in the Cabinet. Her name was also floated for Attorney General.

-- Most of the early picks Obama has made are likely to sail through the Senate. Holder could present a bit of a problem given his involvement in the controversial pardon of Marc Rich toward the end of Bill Clinton's term, but Daschle, Gates and -- should she be named -- Hillary Clinton are not going to face hurdles in confirmation hearings (In fact, one thing that might give Obama pause is just how many Republicans have praised Clinton lately). But the Obama team is going to have to keep answering questions about some possible conflicts of interest, like Daschle's work on the board of the Mayo Clinic and with a law firm that has big health care clients, as the New York Times' David Kirkpatrick notes.

-- Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Senate Democrats slapped colleague Joe Lieberman on the wrist for publicly backing John McCain this year, revoking the Connecticut Independent's chair of an Environment and Public Works subcommittee but letting him keep the top job on the Homeland Security and Government Affairs panel. In an interview with CBS News, Lieberman backpedaled on some of his attacks on Obama but didn't admit that he owes the newly-minted president-elect a big one.

-- Democrats on the House side are less forgiving, taking the first step toward stripping a key committee from the hands of the lower chamber's most senior member. The Democratic Steering and Policy Committee voted by a narrow margin in favor of California Rep. Henry Waxman, who is challenging Michigan Rep. John Dingell for the top slot on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the New York Times' John Broder writes. The surprise challenge from Waxman had support from a number of close allies of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, though Pelosi maintains she had nothing to do with the challenge and has told George Miller, one of her top lieutenants, not to use her name when making calls on Waxman's behalf.

-- The final verdict on Dingell's chairmanship will come during a vote of the full caucus today, and the Michigan Democrat is likely in better position than he was on the Steering Committee. That panel, which has more Californians and environmentalists on board than the caucus as a whole, is largely controlled by Pelosi allies. The battle will come down to advocates of strong climate change legislation, something Dingell has resisted, and those who worry about the collapse of the seniority system, which Dingell represents. Watch the Congressional Black Caucus, many of whose members voiced strong support for the seniority system earlier this week. Thanks to that system, CBC members Charlie Rangel, Bennie Thompson and John Conyers hold chairmanships of prominent committees.

-- House Republicans named their own slate of new leaders yesterday, with everything going to plan. Minority Leader John Boehner beat back a weak challenge from California Rep. Dan Lungren, while NRCC chairman Tom Cole dropped his ill-fated re-election bid just before the votes were cast, handing the party's campaign arm to Texas Rep. Pete Sessions. But look to Minority Whip Eric Cantor and Conference Chair Mike Pence to make the biggest noise this cycle, as both bring an influx of new blood the conference desperately needs. Still, their appointments have some wondering where all the moderates have gone.

-- But there are still races left to be concluded, as counters in Minnesota started going back through the state's ballots in an effort to conclude the Senate election. Republican incumbent Norm Coleman held a 215-vote lead going into yesterday's counting, but that lead shrank to 174 by the end of the day. Both Coleman and Democrat Al Franken are challenging more than 100 ballots across the state, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes, meaning the outcome might not be known until well after the December 5 target for finishing the recount. Those disputed ballots will head to the state Canvassing Board for resolution in mid-December.

-- Though NRSC chair John Ensign said he was optimistic about Coleman holding onto his lead, some of Coleman's Republican colleagues aren't feeling as positive. One Senate Republican told the Washington Times that Coleman might be a good pick to head the Republican National Committee, before clarifying that he hopes Coleman would win. Ask Mel Martinez how serving as a senator and a chairman at the same time works. Hint: Not well. If Coleman, who just said no to a run for NRSC chair, were to lose and run for the RNC spot, he might join defeated New Hampshire Senator John Sununu, whose name has been floated by some Northeastern Republicans.

-- Brawl Of The Day: First, he wanted to boot Ted Stevens out of the Republican conference. Now, Senator Jim DeMint is behind proposals to impose term limits on leadership and on tenure on the Appropriations Committee, Politico reports today. Both proposals were defeated, but DeMint and a few other Senate conservatives are starting to assert themselves more, leading to what could be a repeat of the rise of the right in the House.