Joint Chiefs Handle: 'Midnight Mike'

Adm. Mike Mullen, a shoo-in as the next Joint Chiefs chairman, has a Navy nickname that's piquing curiosity inside the Pentagon.

It's "Midnight Mike," a reference, we hear, to the ship driver's reputation for pushing his staff to burn the midnight oil.

E-Ring subordinates can take heart, though. Mullen, currently chief of naval operations, also has a rep for rewarding his hard workers with cheers and loyalty.

By Paul Bedard