Who: White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy

Degrees: A.B. ’91, J.D. ’98

House: Eliot

Origin: Suburban Boston

Current residence: Washington, D.C.

Spotlight: There’s nothing Joel Kaplan won’t do for his boss. Kaplan, who recently replaced Karl Rove as deputy chief of staff for policy, skipped out on his Hawaii honeymoon to return to the White House. Kaplan rose to his current post after working under Joshua Bolten, President Bush’s recently appointed chief of staff, in the Office of Management and Budget. Before joining the Bush team, Kaplan clerked for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia LL.B. '60 and served for four years as an artillery officer in the United States Marine Corps.

Friends: Joshua Bolten, who recited the Sheva Brachot at Kaplan’s Texas wedding ceremony; Nigel Jones, Kaplan’s buddy since ninth grade, fellow Marine, and best man; Jay Zeidman, the White House Jewish liaison; Kristen Silverberg AB '92, White House deputy assistant to the president.

Exes: The Democratic Party. Kaplan grew up a Democrat and even served as an alternate delegate to the 1990 state Democratic convention.

Scandal: During Kaplan's confirmation hearing, Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D—N.J.) grilled him over his role in the infamous Brooks Brothers riot of 2000. Kaplan said he was not part of the irate group of Republican staffers who stormed a ballot recount room in Florida; however, the name of the riot was his invention.

Guilty pleasures: A Wonkette tipster reported that in law school Kaplan watched “NYPD Blue” even when it wasn’t cool anymore and liked egg bagels with lox spread and raw onion.

Open secrets: Contributed $6,000 to the Republicans in the 2004 cycle.

Lawyer or Doctor?: Joel Kaplan, M.D., “the pioneer and expert in penis enlargement and sexual enhancement”, supersedes Joel Kaplan, Esq., on Google.

Campus speak: “Segregation, voluntary or involuntary, accentuates differences and breeds intolerance.” —Kaplan, speaking in favor of House randomization at the College. The Crimson, December 1989.

Aspiration: “I've been really working on trying to look like Peter [Frampton]. As for my favorite Frampton song—I would go with ‘Show me the Way’ or ‘Day in the Sun.’” — Ask the White House, February 2004