Normally I wouldn’t comment about a race I can’t vote in — like the Connecticut Democratic Senate primary.

But watching Ned Lamont debate Joe Lieberman last night on C-SPAN, I was stunned when Lamont called North Korea “the biggest threat to the United States and world peace.”

Huh?  The biggest threat is a single country whose most advanced missile breaks up within seconds after launch — rather than a global terrorist movement that murdered 72 Connecticut residents on September 11?

Or perhaps Lamont believes it’s all connected, as in, say, an Axis of Evil?

In his new protest song “Let’s Impeach The President” – a title, by the way, that’s so deep and thoughtful and perplexing it ranks up there with  “Joanie Loves Chachi” — Neil Young complains that President Bush is dividing the country.

Surely, then, Neil Young must be pleased that the Senate is unifying the country by calling English our “common and unifying language.”

Washington has dispensed with partisanship. Now we’re into downright hatred. Anger’s aweigh! But Valentine’s Day offers a rare chance to preach love, not spew venom. We’ll eagerly get back to mutual invective soon, but for Valentine’s Day 2006, here’s what you can do. Match the politicians most need of sharing Valentines with each other.

Here are hints:

Roll Call:

The ascent last week of Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) to the Majority Leader post has put the agenda for the upcoming House GOP retreat somewhat in flux, but one thing is certain: Frank Luntz won’t be there

Letter from Sen. McCain to Sen. Obama (Feb. 6):

“I understand how important the opportunity to lead your party’s effort to
exploit this issue must seem to a freshman Senator, and I hold no hard
feelings over your earlier disingenuousness.”

Peggy Noonan:

When the president joked that two people his father loves are turning 60
this year, himself and Bill Clinton–why does he think constant references
to that relationship work for him?–it was Mrs. Clinton’s job to look mildly
amused, or pleasant, or relatively friendly, or nonhostile. Mrs. Clinton has
two natural looks, the first being a dull and sated cynicism, the second the
bright-eyed throaty chuckler who greets visiting rubes from Utica. The
camera caught the first …

Washington Post:

An “irritated” U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson
“expressed frustration and surprise” upon hearing that D.C. Council Member
Marion Barry “failed to promptly file his tax returns and other required
paperwork”

Captain’s Quarter’s coverage of Jimmy Carter at Coretta Scott King’s
funeral:

He lectured about the lack of progress in civil rights, saying
that all one had to do was look at the faces of those victimized by
Hurricane Katrina to know that more progress had to be made. It’s the first
time I’ve ever heard God be called a bigot — unless Carter somehow has
evidence that Bush ginned up a hurricane to deliberately attack the Gulf
Coast.