But they pale beside last week's event, when Lincoln played host to the festival of Living Islam for the second time.

ECONOMIST: Middle England takes middle-class Islam to its heart

But that was a dust-up beside the firestorm Murtha ignited this week.

NPR: Murtha's Moment: Not Soon Forgotten

Earlier this week, Blagojevich was in the news again -- standing beside and supporting the workers suddenly laid off at the Chicago window factory.

CNN: Blagojevich made name as a friend of the common man

Especially in my work later in the week in the coroner's building, as we stood beside families to formally identify those victims of this tragedy, and as we counselled them in their grief, I was disconcerted by some of the press, who were trying to buy pictures of the victims over our shoulders as we talked with families.

BBC: Hillsborough report: Your reaction