When Bloggers Attack..and Funny Valentines

Before we get to the heavy topics of the day, here's a shout-out to the folks at The Onion, (today's Top Link #28)) who always manage to bring a satire-heavy grin, and today's Happy Valentine's Day greeting is no exception. Still, some folks believe in Cupid's arrow, apparently, as "one true love" appears among today's key phrases, too.

Now for the nitty-gritty, in which bloggers, journalists and observers are squaring off on the emerging roles that political bloggers are taking. Are they fair? Dangerous? People who believe in the First Amendment but only if it fits their political agenda? More interested in speed than facts?

The discussion is wide-ranging among today's top links, from a Michael Barone column at U.S.News.com about the political influence of bloggers (is it mostly right-leaning?), to Howard Kurtz' Washington Post's column about bloggers' increasing willingness to attack mainstream journalists. The reason? CNN news executive Eason Jordan resigned over the weekend in the wake of blogger flak he received because of comments made last week at an international forum, where he suggested that journalists in Iraq were being targeted by the military. Did bloggers not like the person, the message...or the possibility of some truth in the discussion he started? Blogger Michelle Malkin offers a far different assessment than Bertrand Pecquerie at Editors Weblog.

Among today's key people are Howard Dean, the newly elected chairman of the National Democratic Party, and music executive Jordan Bratman, is getting lots of buzz for getting engaged to singer Christina Aguilera.

For a little beauty in the world, you gotta give artist Christo credit for turning New York's Central Park into an orange-flagged bonanza.

BLOGPULSE TREND GRAPH OF THE DAY: It's obvious that the season of awards shows is upon us, and Oscar remains one of the favorites.