Interior secretary Dirk Kempthorne had a relatively short vacation this month, visiting Boise several times as he tried to get in as much work as possible before the end of President Bush’s term.

Critics have suggested he and the Bush Administration are in a last ditch effort to put their policies in place before they leave in January including proposed changes in rules for managing endangered species. Kempthorne doesn’t apologize for trying to get as much done as he can. After all, he’s been on a sprint since the Memorial Day he took over in 2006.

“Do you call it a last ditch effort when Eli Manning’s got two minutes left on the clock?” Kempthorne said. “He's supposed to be on that field right to the end.”

The former Idaho governor said he expects to get a new grazing policy in place before he leaves and plans to rule on whether to list sage grouse as an endangered species. While his resource decisions get most of the play two things he proud of are improving health programs in island territories like St. Croix and Guam and his efforts to increase the priorities for Indian education.

Kempthorne established a new bureau of Indian education with its own separate assistant secretary to help improve schools on Indian reservations.

He already cut a number of deals with Indian tribes on water rights and he got more he hopes to finish this year. On Indian gaming he made the decision not to approve any Indian casinos off reservations because even though they might make the tribe more money tribal members would have to leave their homes and life behind to work in them.

“It wasn’t adding to the cohesiveness of the reservation,” he said.

He said he isn't looking beyond his current job yet in part because if he talks to anyone about his next job he has to report it and make sure he's not making any decision that would affect that institution. That would further limit what he could get done before he leaves, he said.

He and GOP presidential candidate John McCain are friends from Kempthorne's Senate days but he wouldn't speculate whether he might join a McCain administration if he's elected.