Washington in 60 Seconds: GOP's Cantor Rejects Limbaugh Language; Bubba Heads for the Hill

Good morning, Capitolists! It's a little late, but it's still making news. Here's what's making news in Washington today:

* The Sad Story Everyone's Talking About. The Washington Post's Dana Priest reports today that Maj. Nidal Hasan, the psychologist believed to be the shooter during last week's rampage at Fort Hood, gave a speech to Army officers in 2007 advocating that the military release Muslim members from service to avoid "adverse effects." One member of that audience said in retrospect, "It was really strange."

* Honoring the Fallen. President and Mrs. Obama will spend the day traveling to Fort Hood and attending a memorial service for those killed in last week's attack. The president speaks at 1 p.m. Central time. Members of Congress and the senior leadership of the Pentagon will also attend.

* Pass the Barbecue. The Senate has no votes today as a number of senators fly to Fort Hood, but for the Democratic senators still in Washington, their weekly lunch will feature a health care reform pep talk from a man who has been there: Former President Bill Clinton.

* Too Big to Fail Function. Do you and your multinational displace capital everywhere you go? Is there a tether from your ankle to the global economy? Are you the financial equivalent of being so big you can't see your feet or your consumer operations anymore? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be too big to fail, and will be the subject of Sen. Chris Dodd's noon press conference unveiling legislation to rein in firms so enormous they threaten the economies they sustain.

* Eric Cantor Says Limbaugh-Like Language Not Helpful. In an interview with Bloomberg TV's Al Hunt over the weekend, the second-ranking House Republican was asked about some harsh conservative rhetoric lately, including Rush Limbaugh's assertion that "Adolf Hitler, like Barack Obama, also ruled by dictate." Cantor, who is Jewish, responded, "Do I condone the mention of Hitler in any discussion about politics? No, I don't, because obviously that is something that conjures up images that frankly are not, I think, very helpful."

* Whose Afraid of Michael Steele? The chairman of the RNC and a Capitolist quotable favorite had this conversation with radio host Roland Martin over the weekend:
MARTIN: "One of the criticisms I've always had is Republicans -- white Republicans -- have been scared of black folks."
STEELE: "You're absolutely right. I mean I've been in the room and they've been scared of me. I'm like, 'I'm on your side.' "
Steele went on to say nice things about Republicans of all stripes.