Monday Morning. Or Dick Cheney Finally Has a Heart That Works

1. It’s better that that silly and tasteless headline come from a conservative blog. Seriously, though: THE TODAY SHOW had a lot of experts—very tastelessly—wondering whether Cheney should have taken the heart that had become available for him. Should he have been more noble? Did he cut in line? Is he too old? Nobody, in my opinion, should be asking such questions. He’s too visible a guy to have been able to cut in line. Twenty months is a long wait—one that was pretty close to too long for Cheney. There appears to be nothing much physically wrong with Cheney beyond a long-standing bum ticker. The point of a transplant at this stage of medical progress is 5-10 extra years of a decent quality of life. Cheney is young and vital enough to expect that kind of benefit. Cheney, over the years, has cost our health system a lot. But in every case the benefit has been clear and “worth it.” So all he got is what is available to every American. And we should be proud that our health care system is so capable of keeping this smart and fascinating guy around for so long.

2. Is it just ME? Or was the new MAD MEN overly mannered, sort of boring, and needlessly sexually creepy?

3. Although I admit the daily head-to-heads are meaningless, Romney is reported as running two ahead of Obama this morning. Gingrich and Paul are in free-falls. Santorum has his one-on-one in Wisconsin, although a victory wouldn’t improve his chances for the nomination much.