It’s a New Yecade! I am going to keep saying that until it catches on. But either way, we’re four days in and everything feels COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. Actually, and weirdly, it sort of does — maybe it’s because of all the decade-end stuff, but “2010″ looks, well, normal. Which is a very good sign. Which means we can now share all our shameful secrets from 2009. Like loving “Party In The USA.”

I spent the past several months away from politics. It was an involuntary hiatus made necessary by personal and professional commitments that demanded my utmost attention. When I left, we had a stimulus bill in place, a president with high approval ratings and some remaining afterglow from election night and inauguration day. When I returned [...]