Briefing Skipper: Mitchell, Goldstone Report, Uganda, Campbell

In which we scour the transcript of the State Department's daily presser so you don't have to. Here are the highlights of today's briefing by spokesman Ian Kelly:

• Mideast envoy George Mitchell had a "good" meeting (thanks, Ian) with Benjamin Netanyahu and will meet him again tomorrow. Frustrated by the lack of a readout, a reporter we'll call "Captain Obvious" skewered Kelly with the observation, "The last time you described a meeting as positive, between Mitchell and the Israelis, it was anything but." Mitchell was also meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and President Mahmoud Abbas, breaking bread with the latter at an Iftar dinner tonight. Next on Mitchell's tour: Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon.
• Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "has no plans" to travel to the Middle East despite rumors that she will go to Israel in the October/November timeframe for the U.S.-Israel strategic dialogue. Those meetings are typically led by the under secretary for political affairs, Kelly said, without actually saying that this will be the case the next time around.
• The State Department is still trying to "digest" the Goldstone Report ("We don't read that fast," Kelly said), which accuses both Israel and the Palestinians of war crimes during the latest Gaza offensive. He added, "Mr. Goldstone makes serious allegations, and we want to take time to review them."
• Now is just not a good time to go to Kampala, Uganda, apparently.
• Newly minted Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who was sworn in this morning, is headed to Japan Thursday to meet with the new government led by the Democratic Party of Japan. Sugoi, desu ne!