Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:

Reflections On Obama-Era Patriotism
On President's Day, Courtney Martin calls on Americans to redefine patriotism as "genuine, once-and-for-all integration."

Reality Intrudes On The Drug War
Highlighting the findings of a renowned Latin American drug commission, Tribune columnist Steve Chapman says representatives in Washington must face the truth about the drug war: it's a failure.

Come Home, Sen. Durbin
Environmental blogger Jeff Biggers is disappointed that Sen. Durbin --  "a voice of clarity in Congress on many of the great issues of our times" -- has invested so much political capital in the FutureGen "clean coal" project.

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