Best Call on Burris:

Gail Collins analyzes the Roland Burris nomination to fill Barak Obama's senate seat: "Personally, I say give the guy the seat. Worst-case scenario, Illinois gets an overly self-involved lawmaker who seems, at this point in his life [71], to have a tendency to say things that sound somewhat silly. If that was a disqualification, the Senate could never meet a quorum call again."

NBC, Inspired by Obama, To Bring Back West Wing?

At least a dozen scripts by as many writers and would be producers must be underway as we speculate. Michael Shear and Ceci Connolly report on the powerful West Wing Obama is currently assembling in today's Washington Post. Surely Hollywood must be abuzz with anticipation. I'd go after Dennis Haysbert for the part of the president and pull in both West Wing fans and 24 fans. Haysbert's current show, The Unit, is destined to go off the air anyway.

The Bouncing Crude Oil Ball:

Just when you noticed that the price of gasoline at the pump was going up again, the price of crude oil dropped, 93 cents today. Is that good news or bad? Depends on which side of the pump you stand.