I’ll make it a quickie, while we wait for CBO numbers.

• I know why the oil industry wants to put a carbon tax on gasoline, and it’s not genuine concern with tailpipe emissions. It’s to get consumers enraged about a climate bill and ensure its defeat. Not to mention they want to exempt themselves from any emissions cap. Face it, at this point the Senate will pass a really bad energy bill and call it a day. ACELA is terrible legislation.

• On a day that Iraq and Afghanistan vets polled supported a repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, House Democrats picked up a Republican co-sponsor – Joseph Cao (R-LA). Maybe NOW the President can go ahead and announce a strategy for passage this year?

• US and Israeli officials are at once trying to defuse tensions over the settlement slap in the face from last week, and also pressuring the Israelis further to restart peace negotiations and cancel the construction.

• Eric Holder defended civilian trials for terror suspects before a Congressional committee, but the discordance of that stand with the use of military commissions when the evidence isn’t as strong really harms the case.

• The Obama Administration has asserted a legal right to use unmanned drones against suspected Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and will soon make it public, says the top lawyer at the State Department. Meanwhile, Leon Panetta thinks drones R the roxxor and have crippled Al Qaeda, though his impartiality can be questioned.

• So much for that one-year freeze on spending earmarks. And 15 GOP Senators voted against it, too.

• Blanche Lincoln, who Barack Obama overlooked, apparently, on health care (I don’t actually buy that), says in her latest TV ad to vote for her because she’s the Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Really? That’s the rationale? That she can cut special deals in Washington? That’s the right message for the times?

• Congratulations to Jose Peralta and saving the Democratic Party the embarrassment of having convicted domestic abuser Hiram Monserrate as an elected official in New York State. Progress by inches.

• The first year over year drop in the US prison population since 1972. Again, progress by inches (the drop was a mere 0.4%).

• More progress: stopping the building of this ridiculous virtual fence with Mexico, which is just a money pit.

• It was always Mitch McConnell’s strategy to just say no. And it worked.

• Enjoy your tar sands extraction project, America! The first of its kind breaks today.

• Hope those elections in New Jersey and Virginia were worth it, seeing that they’re leading to neo-Hooverism and nullification.

• Revolting.

• Erin Go Beer.