- The Bayh announcement is pretty much just another tired episode of the interminable series that is The Broken Senate of Our Lives. But do you know what would make for an uplifting season special? Passing health-care reform. Ezra Klein, yet again, explains why passing the bill would help millions of low-income, uninsured Americans. And in the process, he debunks Megan McArdle's argument that cost controls would curb medical innovation. Worth a read!
- A vast media conspiracy does exist and -- surprise -- it involves lobbyists. Sebastian Jones takes down all those cable news commentators making cash off of their, ahem, priceless expertise. Biggest offenders? Military contractors. Good thing the Supreme Court saw fit to make sure moneyed interests aren't having their voices stifled. Oh, well -- at least this stuff should keep everyone over at Media Matters busy, busy, busy.
- Over at Ta-Nehisi Coates' blog, Adam Serwer dissects the John Mayer apology ritual: The words are ugly, sure, but the larger and pervasive sentiment is uglier. But more important, why must you cheat on your blog so close to Valentine's Day, Adam? It hurts, real bad.
- Remainders: Valentine's Day plus Presidents' Day underscores Franklin Pierce's resemblance to Johnny Depp; Harold Ford picked the wrong state to carpetbag; please, less Weezy, more Chris Tucker (seriously, though, where is Chris Tucker?).
--Alexandra Gutierrez and Justin Charity
