What is the likelihood that Obama’s decision to take a hands-off approach to investigations and indictments over torture, not to mention civil rights like gay marriage*, thus far is due to their ability as wedge issues to galvanize opposition to waste White House time better spent dealing with immediate crises?

I can’t help but think of how Monicagate plagued Clinton’s second term such that it took a life of its own and completely eclipsed any other designs that were happening at that time, like, say, Kosovo.

*Since when has that issue ever flown under the radar, Dan Savage?