Interesting juxtaposition on Romenesko today. First, there's an item from Alan Mutter's Newsasaur blog on the political implications of newspaper closings; among other things, a new study finds that closures make it easier for incumbents to win election.
And then, right below Mutter's item, there's a San Francisco Chronicle piece on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asking Attorney General Eric Holder to make it easier for struggling newspapers--like, say, the Chronicle--to merge with other struggling papers in order to survive.