FRIDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* It was an “erratic” day on Wall Street.
* Roland Burris’ chief of staff abruptly resigned today. Another very bad sign for the Illinois senator’s already-bleak future.
* On a related note, the White House would like Burris to take the weekend to think about the benefits of resignation.
* To have been a fly on the wall for these talks: “Since last fall, many of the leading figures in the nation’s long-running health care debate have been meeting secretly in a Senate hearing room. Now, with the blessing of the Senate’s leading proponent of universal health insurance, Edward M. Kennedy, they appear to be inching toward a consensus that could reshape the debate.”
* Another tragedy: “A suicide bomber attacked the funeral of a slain Shiite Muslim leader in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing 28 people and triggering deadly rioting, officials said.”
* The New York Post has kinda sorta apologized for its controversial political cartoon.
* Will the recession lead to a crime wave?
* Oops: “National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) has closer ties to Allen Stanford and his financial empire than his office previously has acknowledged.”
* It would be must-see-TV: “In an unusual move, one of the country’s most powerful labor leaders, SEIU chief Andy Stern, has just issued a public challenge to Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue, daring the influential business leader to debate him publicly over the Employee Free Choice Act.”
* John Boehner doesn’t seem to know what he’s talking about.
* Larry Kudlow doesn’t seem to know what he’s talking about (probably because he’s getting his talking points from John Boehner).
* Malkin doesn’t seem to believe comparing Obama to Hitler is “out of bounds.” Wow.
* Why the White House welcomes the chance to push back against that ranting guy on CNBC.
* Great item from John Judis on the “fiscal equivalent of war.”
* The ongoing problem of military readiness.
* And here I thought Leon Panetta was supposed to be unpopular at Langley.
* John Gibson was misquoted, but given his track record, it’s easy to see how a mistake like this can happen.
* Good piece from A.L. on the six far-right governors “considering” turning down stimulus aid.
* The line between the actual Republican Party and the “SNL” parody really is easily blurred.
* The right wing is already selling bumper-stickers calling for Obama’s impeachment. That didn’t take long.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
