According to Pew, 93 percent of all cable news coverage was of the death of Michael Jackson on Thursday and Friday. For newspapers on Friday morning, the day after Jackson’s death, “37% of their coverage was Jackson-related compared to 55% of the leading online coverage.”

Chart from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism

“It was a reminder of how the media at times can be captivated by the hold of celebrity on some people’s lives and at the same time will eagerly exploit it,” the report stated.

In fact, the report shows that Jackson was the top newsmaker of the week, even beating out Barack Obama. And that includes stories about the Obama administration. Sanford was third, while Farrah Fawcett, Neda Alghan-Soltan (the woman shown being killed during a street protest in Iran) and Ed McMahon rounded out the top five newsmakers of the week.

Despite happening on a Thursday, coverage of the pop star’s death was the second most-covered news story of the week. It was narrowly edged by the coverage of the political unrest in Iran following the disputed presidential election earlier in the month.

The Pew report gives an example of how news has changed in the past three decades. “When Elvis Presley died in 1977,” the report states, “CBS News was criticized for choosing not to lead its newscast with it.”

It seems that television news has learned their lesson, and according to a Pew chart, led the way in coverage of the pop star’s death.

A peak at Newseum, a Web site which shows the front pages of newspapers around the country, shows that virtually all newspapers had at least a mention of Jackson in the coveted above-the-fold space, many with large pictures accompanying the stories.

Iran and Jackson’s death were followed by the Mark Sanford scandal (11 percent of news coverage), the economy (7 percent), healthcare (7 percent) and a Washington D.C. subway crash (5 percent).

Nothing so newsworthy as dangling a blanket-covered baby over a balcony railing, of course. But I found grist for my political mill.

The House approved the budget for fiscal year 2010 (H.R. 2918) 232 to 178, with New Mexico’s U.S. Reps. Martin Heinrich, D-Albuquerque, and Ben Ray Lujan, D-Santa Fe, voting with the majority, while U.S. Rep. Harry Teague, D-Hobbs,  the only New Mexico Democrat who represents what was, until the Obama Coattails Express came through, considered a safe Republican seat, voting no.

Teague, it appears, would prefer not to be a one-termer.

The House also voted on an amendment to the Homeland Security Appropriations Act (H.R. 2892) that would prohibit the use of any Homeland Security funds to employ illegal immigrants, as supporters of the bill claimed that the federal government was the largest employer of illegal aliens in the country.

I have no idea whether this is true, but whether it is or not, I think most American taxpayers would probably just as soon not see their hard-earned tax dollars being paid to people in this country illegally.

Opponents of the amendment said it was unnecessary because it restates existing law.  This is true, of course, but it did not stop 349 members of the House – and there are not even close to 349 Republicans there — from voting for it.

Lujan has not, as far as I can determine, indicated whether that was his reason for voting no on the amendment.  Although he Twitters about his legislative activity, he neglected to mention that vote particular vote.  I wonder why.

The vote was an opportunity for congressmen to go on record as being either in favor of enforcing our nation’s laws concerning illegal immigration or not, and Lujan has made his views clear.

Those views may resonate with most of my fellow Santa Feans, but I do not think they resonate with the majority of the voters of northern New Mexico whom Lujan represents.

My regular readers know that I would love to see a Republican unseat Lujan and take the 3rd Congressional District seat, but I am a realist, and know this is unlikely.

What might be possible, however, is a strong challenge by a more conservative Democrat to unseat the lackluster Lujan in the Democratic primary.  A Democrat who would better represent 3rd district voters outside Santa Fe.  A Democrat who didn’t get where he is by nepotism.  A Democrat who recognizes that illegal immigration is a serious problem this country needs to solve.

I realize I’m only dreaming, of course.

Most of my fellow citizens would rather sit and watch maudlin retrospectives of Michael Jackson’s brilliant career and tormented private life than to concern themselves with something as trivial as who represents them in Congress.  No, much better to go on watching the “E!” channel and mindlessly electing men whose names sound vaguely familiar because their eponymous fathers have been running things in New Mexico for years.

Now back to the real news — hurry, they’re showing another clip of “Beat It”!

Up in Santa Fe, there’s squabbling over grass on the Plaza, the Santa Fe New Mexican says. The City Council wants the grass to be there for looking at, but not for touching, standing on, playing on, walking dogs on or putting Spanish Market booths on.

In Albuquerque, voters ousted school board President Mary Lee Martin, according to Tuesday’s unofficial returns from the Albuquerque Public Schools and Central New Mexico Community College elections, KRQE reports.

The Legislature is taking up the issue of violent street gangs, and KOB has the story. Sadly, we’re not talking about the kind of violent street gangs that like to fight with dancing.

Meanwhile, a Duke City Fixer sounds off about the Legislature’s failure to get serious about domestic partnerships and encourages readers to get active on the issue. David Cramer writes: “We all know how the role of marriage has changed over centuries. Now we are on the cusp of another evolutionary step. I think the best way we can become ‘traditional’ is by being seen as a regular part of society and no longer hidden from view, where the dark forces of stereotype and fear breed misunderstandings about who we are.”

In national news, the new fun game is to speculate whom President Obama will choose to replace Tom Daschle as his nominee for secretary of health and human services. According to Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post’s Fix blog:

Here’s the short list: Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, former Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt and John Podesta, the head of Obama’s transition effort and White House chief of staff for Bill Clinton. Sebelius spokeswoman Beth Martino told the Fix that the Kansas governor “will continue to do what she can to help President Obama fix our economy, improve our health care system and get America back on track.” Does that include serving as HHS Secretary? If it does, Senate Democrats lose their top-tier recruit for Sen. Sam Brownback‘s (R) open seat.

And despite all of your fervent prayers, wishes and efforts in the voting booth, former Vice President Dick Cheney is not dead/living in Antarctica/totally mute. “… Cheney warned that there is a ‘high probability’ that terrorists will attempt a catastrophic nuclear or biological attack in coming years, and said he fears the Obama administration’s policies will make it more likely the attempt will succeed,” writes The Politico today. Oh boy. I need a Tums.

Don’t worry! Here’s a nice story for you from Frank Bruni of the New York Times. Fancy restaurants in New York are so hard up for cash that they’re taking drastic steps like being nice. Read it here.

"Pleeeeeeeeeease eat at my place," say Mario Batali, Siro Maccioni and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.