MONDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Why the stimulus is too small.
* Nissan is slashing 20,000 jobs.
* Joe Biden’s remarks over the weekend at a security conference in Munich were well received by Russian officials.
* The fires in Australia are just brutal.
* Now here’s a provocative idea from a “Political Animal” regular: marijuana legalization as an economic stimulus?
* When Michael Steele complains about “bling, bling” in the stimulus bill, you know he’s trying a little too hard.
* In addition to taking policy advice from “Joe the Plumber,” Republicans are now taking communications advice from Michelle Malkin.
* Despite some reports to the contrary, it appears Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) had a good reason for turning down Obama’s Air Force One invitation.
* John Thain, please stop talking.
* Owen West, a Marine vet who served two tours in Iraq, makes the case for ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
* The Senate bill could be improved quickly and effectively by dropping the AMT patch.
* The media’s coverage of the stimulus debate has been pretty painful.
* Marc Ambinder ponders what a “depression” actually is.
* Congratulations to Jesse Lee, the new White House Online Programs Director.
* It’s encouraging to see that there will be at least one openly-gay person on the White House’s policy council of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
* Something seems to have gone terribly wrong with the Council on Foreign Relations.
* I wonder what the holidays are like at Woodhouse family gatherings.
* And finally, it appears Ann Coulter is under investigation for voting irregularities.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
