Waiting to wrap up a few stories, so it’s the perfect time to close out the day’s news with a roundup.

• Dave Roberts can’t understand how capping carbon without really capping carbon will bring in enough new votes without losing other ones. Me neither. But John Kerry is upbeat on the prospects for passage – he even met with Swift Boat ad funder T. Boone Pickens to whip support.

• It would be good to compare the media reaction to the majority using reconciliation in 2010 with the majority using reconciliation in, say, 2003, for the second round of Bush tax cuts. But sadly, the media didn’t bother to cover it back then, because the Republicans who whisper in their collective ears and copyedit their stories weren’t complaining about it then.

• With many viewing Chris Dodd’s financial reform plan as a sellout, Tim Fernholz grabbed statements from the Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee. Dodd’s draft may go as well as his first draft did.

• Larry Summers, of all people, is left to defend financial reform. Of course, in typical White House fashion, they support “reform” without getting deep on specifics.

• Could the White House soon recess appoint Craig Becker? They’re certainly hinting at it.

• This RNC strategy document earned somebody a salary. Whoever thought of comparing Harry Reid to Scooby Doo, unlike 10 million Americans, draws a paycheck. That’s the most I can say about that.

• Jim Bunning takes a parting shot, reasons that the lapse in unemployment benefits caused by his multiple denials of unanimous consent was Harry Reid’s fault. That must make him feel good.

• It’s a sad commentary on the state of the Washington Post that David Broder is the voice of reason, at least as it relates to all those Rahm Emanuel story.

• Greece getting the Shock Doctrine treatment.

• The National Council of La Raza steps up their attacks on the President for broken promises on immigration.

• I wouldn’t put too much stock in efforts to get the public option in a separate bill after health care passes. It’s certainly possible, and I do think it’ll be an enduring campaign issue, but nobody in Washington will want to touch health care for quite a while after all this.

• Big changes in store for the US Postal Service, one of the more underrated public agencies in our discourse. Really, you take my piece of paper across the country within a day or two for 42 cents? You can take Saturday off if you keep doing that. Sadly, the modern has simply has less of a need for mail delivery, though shipping is another matter.

• I missed this a few days ago, but Jerrold Nadler sent state bar associations information on John Yoo and Jay Bybee for potential disciplinary action. At least that’s something, a way around the attempted scotching by DoJ official David Margolis.

• Frank Lautenberg’s back on Capitol Hill. Hope he’s well.

• The St. Reagan worship continues. Now Republicans want him on the $50 bill. Over the general who won the Civil War for the Union. Maybe they’ll hold the ceremony for the new currency in Philadelphia, Mississippi, with an accompanying speech on state’s rights.

• More bad news for David Paterson.

• This is terrible news. The satirical blogger known as “Jon Swift” has died. What a talented writer, and what a great loss.