When Kal Penn went off to shoot A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas, it was hard to imagine he’d actually return to his 9-to-5’er in the White House’s Office of Public Engagement after re-tasting the sweet joys of craft services. But he did! Now, though, he’s leaving again, and this time for television: Michael Ausiello reports that Penn has landed a recurring role on How I Met Your Mother’s seventh season, as a possible love interest for Robin. And yet! Ausiello says Penn might well be back in the Obama fold for the 2012 reelection campaign. Two possibilities as to why this is happening, then: either Penn’s accountant weighed in effusively on his career choices, or Obama really wants to see Robin happy. [TV Line]