• Thomas Frank, Wall Street Journal: The Blue Dogs run for profit. "My guess is that the Blue Dogs, like Jack Abramoff's Republicans before them, are more keenly attuned than their colleagues to that force of universal goodness, the profit motive."
• Ron Wyden and Robert F. Bennet, Washington Post: We have a plan for health care reform. "As 12 U.S. senators from both sides of the aisle who have widely varying philosophies, we offer a concrete demonstration that it is possible to find common ground and pass real health reform this year."
• Harold Meyerson, Washington Post: The senate runs by minority rule. "But whatever the reasons, a mobilized minority is making a very plausible play to thwart a demobilized majority."

• Maureen Dowd, New York Times: Bubba's North Korea trip was a success. "Hillary and President Obama look bigger when they share the stage with other talented players. And Barack and Bill may have finally started to put South Carolina behind them -- without the need for a beer summit photo-op."
• Gordon Chang, Wall Street Journal: "Now is not the time to throw Kim a lifeline."
• The Editors, Wall Street Journal: "If it turns out that if a new nuclear negotiation really was begun during Mr. Clinton's visit, it will also send the signal to North Korea that the worse its behavior, the more it stands to gain from the U.S."

• David Harsanyi, Denver Post: "The point of a stimulus should be to create new demand, not to move existing demand around to score political points."

• Sandhya Somashekhar, Washington Post: "Republicans are gambling that many of Virginia's middle-of-the road voters, who have backed Democrats in recent races, will be up for grabs as people grow more skeptical of Democratic leadership."

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