This week on CounterSpin: "If it weren't for those darn tax problems, Tom Daschle was the perfect choice as Obama's Secretary of Health & Human Services," seems to be the establishment refrain over the rise and fall of the Daschle nomination. "No one knows the healthcare issues, or could do a better job pushing through the promised Obama healthcare plan than the former senator," say many pundits. Ken Silverstein begs to differ. The Washington editor of Harpers and the magazine's Washington Babylon blogger will join us to talk about that.

Also on the show: Breast cancer affects huge numbers of women in this country and is the subject of a fair amount of media attention, but beyond the pink ribbons and the walkathons, how seriously do reporters follow developments in breast cancer research, and particularly that research that points outside the usual suspects of genetics and age as causes? We'll hear from journalist Miranda Spencer about coverage of environmental factors in breast cancer.

Links:

— The Daschle Affair and the Washington Bubble, by Ken Silverstein (Washington Babylon, 2/4/09)

— Miranda Spencer on FAIR.org