MONDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Mexico: “President Barack Obama is ‘deeply saddened and outraged’ at news of the murders of a federal employee and two relatives of workers at the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, an administration spokesman said.”
* Netanyahu is sorry U.S. officials are upset, but Israel isn’t changing course: “In the face of sharp American disapproval of an Israeli plan for an East Jerusalem building project, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu firmly rejected Monday any curbs on new Jewish settlements in and around Jerusalem.”
* And predictably, GOP leaders are attacking the Obama administration for being unhappy with Israel.
* Step one is done: the House Budget Committee voted 21 to 16 this afternoon to send the final health care reform package to the House Rules Committee. Two Blue Dogs — Texas’s Chet Edwards and Florida’s Allen Boyd — voted with Republicans. Both voted against reform in November.
* Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) kicks off his initiative to reform the way Wall Street does business. The White House is pleased. More surprisingly, Elizabeth Warren seems to like the plan, too.
* Good to see industrial production edge up.
* Eyeing an overhaul of No Child Left Behind.
* Student aid bill “hobbles forward.”
* Fantastic interview with Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens from Jeff Toobin. Of particular interest: Stevens will retire before the end of Obama’s first term.
* Fareed Zakaria on the success of Obama’s approach to Pakistan.
* After Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s (D-Ohio) votes against health care, against the hate crimes bill, against the Democratic budget, against the cap-and-trade bill, and against financial regulation, Nate Silver considers the liberal lawmaker’s value to the Democratic Party.
* Utah’s House Republican majority leader resigned in the wake of his under-age, hush-money, hot-tub scandal. Probably a good idea.
* Fact Checking the Sunday Shows.
* Harry Reid issued a statement today, noting that he still expects his wife to make a “full recovery.”
* And on a related note, I’m reminded why I don’t miss reading right-wing blogs: one relatively prominent conservative blogger suggested, in print, that Reid’s wife should be “euthanized.” He was apparently making an insane observation about why he hates health care reform.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
