Deficit Distortion Makes for U.S. Fiscal Disaster: Albert R. Hunt Social Security “is being used as a piggy bank” for the U.S. government as retirees are asked to “pay the price for the excess of Wall Street.”

Obama Needs to Take His Inside Politics Outside: Albert R. Hunt John Gardner, the estimable founder of Common Cause and former secretary of health, education and welfare, said one of the conditions for effectiveness in Washington is to employ “inside-outside alliances.”

Bernanke Takes a Second Journey ‘Through the Fire’: Albert Hunt The U.S. Senate’s consideration of the health-care plan looked ugly. Some critics have forgotten the legislative process is always messy.

Obama Rose Above Drama Against Slipshod ‘08 Rivals: Albert Hunt It’s a shame that Harry Reid’s comments in the new account of the 2008 election, “Game Change,” received so much attention. The book has many more interesting stories, and the Senate majority leader is getting a bum rap for his racial remarks.

Obama Health Plan’s Success Rides on Cost Curbs: Albert R. Hunt As Democratic Senate and House leaders privately hammer out a final compromise on their competing versions of health-care legislation, the controversies focus on a government-run option and abortion. These are irrelevant to the important decisions that will affect the credibility and sustainability of the measure.

Democrats Know Make-or-Break Year Turns on Jobs: Albert Hunt This year will be a difficult one for Democrats. The only issue is how tough.

Obama’s Foreign-Policy Team Bests Economy Stars: Albert Hunt A year ago, the expectation was that President-elect Barack Obama’s economic team would be a smooth- functioning machine, and the outlook was for turbulence in the national-security arena.

U.S. Charities Top OECD Amid Health-Care Mess: Albert R. Hunt Taking several days off last week to bring a child home from college, my reading materials included reports from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, courtesy of a breakfast with Angel Gurria, the energetic Mexican secretary general of the outfit.

DeMint’s Back-to-Basics Plan for Republicans: Albert R. Hunt Broadcasting entertainers Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, while influential with conservatives, Republican strategists explain, aren’t officeholders or political decision makers. Jim DeMint is.

Obama’s Least-Worst Alternative for Afghanistan: Albert R. Hunt President Barack Obama’s Afghanistan policy, as laid out in his West Point address last week, evokes Winston Churchill’s description of democracy as “the worst form of government except for all those others.”