U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado wore a snazzy cowboy hat and bolo tie to Wednesday's news conference in Chicago, where President-elect Barack Obama announced his nomination as secretary of the interior.

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who shared the stage as Obama's pick for agriculture secretary, was hatless. As Iowans may well remember, it was always Vilsack's wife, Christie, who had an affinity for millinery.

But as Iowans have tried unsuccessfully to forget, the former governor has been photographed in some pretty interesting headgear over the years. We have a solemn obligation to show them to you again, now that Vilsack's back in the national spotlight.

Cabinet pick goes coach, shares a cab

For all the millions Barack Obama's campaign raised, it seems some expenses were spared in the transition team's Cabinet announcement process.

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, likely the next U.S. secretary of agriculture, sat in economy class on his early-morning flight to Chicago on Wednesday for his introduction as the new USDA appointee.

Vilsack was seated in the first row of coach, so he had a little more room to stretch than the masses behind him.

However, he had to find his own ride to the Drake Hotel downtown for the news conference with Obama, a half-hour cab ride from O'Hare.

The Ear knows all of this because Vilsack, coincidentally, was on the same flight as Register reporter Tom Beaumont (also in coach) and they split the cab fare from the airport.

Perhaps it's the Obama team's way of saying they plan to identify with everyday Americans during these difficult economic times.

We'll see whether they quit stocking champagne on Air Force One.

McCormick place, Part II

Consider this the second installment in Iowa Ear's new series on former Iowans named John McCormick now working for the Chicago Tribune and creating headaches for Illinois Democrats.

Last week, we featured Manchester, Ia., native and Tribune deputy editorial page editor John P. McCormick. He was named in the federal charges filed against Gov. Rod Blagojevich as a target of the embattled governor.

This week's installment features John D. McCormick, a political writer who tangled with President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday.

The latter McCormick, a former five-year Register staff writer, was part of the Obama presidential campaign coverage team and has been out front on the Trib's Blagojevich follow-up. He pressed Obama during a news conference about his team's review of any contacts between his office and the governor's.

Obama tried to duck McCormick's questions and focus on the point of the new conference, introducing his choice for education secretary, Arne Duncan.

"John, John, let me just cut you off, because I don't want you to waste your question," Obama said. "I don't want to get into the details of it, so do you have another question?"

McCormick stuck with it.

"John, I've said, John, the U.S. attorney's office specifically asked us not to release this until next week," Obama said.

Finally, when McCormick asked a third question - whether Obama supported a special election to find his successor, Obama relented a little.

"I've said I don't think the governor can serve effectively in his office," Obama said, eyes cast downward and grinning uncomfortably. "I'm going to let the state Legislature make a determination in terms of how they proceed."

Really, Mauro really means it

Polk County supervisors Chairman John Mauro returned for this week's board meeting after a nearly two-month absence while he recovered from health problems.

His colleagues began Tuesday's meeting by welcoming the slimmer Mauro back to his 4th District seat.

A flattered, smiling and perhaps somewhat surprised Mauro replied with a bit of jocular slang: "I got to tell you, and I never thought I would say this - I missed every one a yas. Every one a yas, and I mean that. It's really something."