Bard melee damage sucks. There I said it plain and simple. They make up for it in every possible way however. Their songs give them access to tons of utility and they get almost every skill.
I think no, bards don't benefit from haste items much. You'll probably feel more rewarded quad kiting OR charm splitting 2 mobs and killing them both.
The
http://wiki.project1999.com/Haste_Guide sort of explains how haste and stacking it works.