Patients who take a close look at medical science in search of treatments are often appalled by what they discover. On the one hand, there's academic research, a self-contained and self-absorbed universe of its own where data may be internally consistent (on a good day) and robustly reproducible, yet often has little relevance to real-world clinical conditions.

Ten years after 9/11, Americans fear there will be another attack. They also believe America is safer due to the government's efforts and that the initial decision to send troops to Iraq was the right one.

The reported debt-limit deal appears to be a victory for the Tea Party: no tax increases, a new precedent that debt-limit hikes must be accompanied by equal or greater cuts in spending, and the potential for a balanced budget in 10 years.

The world is becoming increasingly scary at the very time that the military will be facing 20% reductions. With each passing day, the world closes in; with each passing day, our ability to manage that world degrades.

The press has pilloried Boehner for walking away from debt negotiations, but it may prove to be one of the greatest moments of his speakership--and a turning point in the "Cold War" over our national debt.

On March 30, Afghan president Hamid Karzai strongly condemned actions of the "Kill Team," a rogue military unit accused of deliberately murdering Afghan civilians. Reaction to the photos in Afghanistan has largely been muted, but this may change as Karzai's condemnation draws more attention.

While Obama focuses on theproblems in Afghanistan, McCain goes after solutions.

We in the punditocracy have been attributing Cain's lead to many conservatives' resistance to frequent front-runner Mitt Romney. But I think Cain's current lead is evidence of a larger and longer-range trend that is both heartening and disturbing. I call it the revolt against the experts.