Secrets and Lies

"...For instance, one recent poll asks whether the Democratic plans create too much government involvement, the right amount, or not enough. Too much gets 42 percent, the right amount 34 percent, and not enough 21 percent. Another question shows that only 28 percent of Americans think the bill goes too far in expanding coverage to the uninsured, 33 percent say it expands coverage the right amount, and 35 percent say it does not go far enough. In both cases, majorities of the public either support Obama's approach or wish it went further. Moreover, a clear majority of Americans say that they want the Democrats to pass a health care bill with a public option, even if this means it would get no GOP votes - a striking result, given the misty-eyed sentiment Americans generally display toward bipartisanship in all its forms."

"The Obama doctrine is the bad-economy version of the Powell doctrine. The latter called for using overwhelming force to achieve clear but limited objectives. Obama doesn't think he can afford (politically or budgetarily) the overwhelming part (and Afghanistan offers nothing comparable to the mission of throwing Saddam out of Kuwait), but he has embraced the idea of setting a limited objective and keeping the end in mind. Contrast that with Bush's second inaugural address, with its lofty rhetoric of igniting a wildfire of freedom across Asia."

MORE NEWS:
* More speech coverage: the NYTimes saw more of a challenge for the Afghani government. Glen Greenwald was pleased with what he didn't hear. Politico discusses what we learned from the speech. And Marc Lynch is undecided. Full text here.
* Calling for a new women's health movement.
* What you can do to help fight hunger in America.
* Looking for details on the latest Metro crash.
* Andrew Cohen moves on from CBSNews.com.
* Glen Weldon presents more graphic novel gift ideas, and more. Good read for comic book fans and non-fans alike.

"Translation: Very few people are strictly straight or strictly gay... but most people do have something of a preference for one gender or the other. Quote unquote 'true' bisexuals, people who are attracted to women and men equally, are fairly rare. Even if we take self-identification out of the picture — even if we define orientation purely on the basis of desire or behavior — we still see this tendency. Why would this be?"