Today's Columns: Catching Up on Op-Eds and Editorials

A round up of leading commentators on the debates we covered yesterday

HEALTH CARE

• Editorial, The New York Times: Obama shouldn't give up the public plan "without first getting a strong alternative to achieve the same goals -- and so far there is nothing very strong on the political horizon."
• Timothy Egan, The New York Times: Co-ops deserve serious consideration. "...co-ops are built around something that's been missing thus far in a debate dominated by ill-informed shouters: the consumer."
• Martin Feldstein, The Wall Street Journal: No rationing in the name of equality. "Let's not destroy the high quality of the best of American health care by government rationing and misplaced egalitarianism."
• Kathleen Parker, The Washington Post: Whole Foods capitalism is good for you. "Is there room in a post-compassionate-conservative nation for a caring capitalist?"
• Jonah Goldberg, The Los Angeles Times: The White House can't sell reform because it's incompetent. "Indeed, according to liberals themselves, these evil-mongers are a tiny minority, a bunch of 'Astro Turf' frauds. So why not ignore them and get on with the work you were elected to do?"

ROBERT NOVAK

• Editorial, The Wall Street Journal: The prince of light, not dark. Robert Novak was a "reporter, patriot, skeptic of the powerful."
• David Broder, The Washington Post: Novak and friends. "Bob was pugnacious, when challenged, but his instinct was to help his friends whenever they needed it. Indeed, all three of the Journal greats were unfailingly generous to others."
• Eleanor Clift, Newsweek: Robert Novak was the ultimate insider journalist. 

AFGHANISTAN

• Anne Applebaum, The Washington Post: "Democratic elections -- which the majority of Afghans support -- are the only means of establishing any Afghan government's legitimacy."
• Nick Meo, Daily Telegraph: If elections fail, the Taliban will win. "Nobody expects the Taliban to march in to Kabul any time soon. But they are there, waiting, if the government fails."

JENNY SANFORD

• Maureen Dowd, New York Times: There's too much sharing going on here, she says. "Her interview in Vogue is accompanied by a leggy photo of the 47-year-old in a beach cover-up that looks like a fetching ad for a new, less embarrassing husband."