OK, before getting into this huge news docket for the weekend, let me include a gratuitous slam on President’s Day Weekend. It’s a waste of taxpayer money, a disgrace in these lean times, a stupid holiday right in the middle of an ugly season, and it wreaks havoc on the Washington City Paper editorial deadlines. Enjoy Monday off, Rest of the World.

Big news coming out of Daytona. I mean, Kenseth is a monster.

Good feature on the front of Washington Post Metro today about an ages-old killing in Virginia, a confession, and the aftermath. I’ve been hearing some grumblings of late that the Metro people are having a tough time making it to A1. If so, this’d be Exhibit A in my case to the page-placement jury.

NYT has a great piece on an inquiry into corruption on part of U.S. officials in Iraq just after “Mission Accomplished.” Something about big wads of money in pizza boxes and the like. Also, this guy Burris—perhaps the best approach was indeed to send him out into the rain.

WashTimes, with the unscoop that Obama administration says stimulus key to economic recovery.

Examiner‘s Nei-man needles Fenty for nominating two jogging buddies to posts.