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- Barack Obama rejected calls from Senate "moderates" to slow down the pace of health care reform during a no-questions news conference this afternoon. Meanwhile, two of the three House committees collaborating on reform legislation passed their version of the bill.
- House Democrats have announced that they will investigate the secret CIA program that was allegedly tasked, among other things, with assassinating members of al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. Good. A big part of repairing the damage done by the Bush administration is getting a more assertive Congress to keep tabs on the Executive Branch.
- So after Texas Gov. Rick Perry made a big show out of rejecting $555 million in stimulus funds to cover gaps in unemployment benefits, he's now asking the federal government for a $170 million loan because "unemployment funds are depleting faster than expected." In other fiscal conservatism news, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford traveled fairly lavishly on the taxpayer's dime while rejecting stimulus money that would have helped the people of the Palmetto State.
- Rather than dignifying this absurd Politico piece on Obama's drinking habits with a link, I'll recommend instead you read Dylan Matthews' take on the subject: "Breaking from Politico: Barack Obama over 21, has ID."
- Remainders: Hillary Clinton engages India; Ron Kirk promises stronger trade policy; Ginsburg confuses Gerson; the RNC offers one-stop shopping for all of your bigoted and pornographic needs; buy a truck, get an assault rifle; and "How to succeed as an Ayn Rand character."
--Mori Dinauer
