Mandate to Moderate

Mandate to Moderate

WASHINGTON -- Churchill's wife said that his being turned out of office by British voters in July 1945 -- the war in the Pacific still raged, and he had just returned from the Potsdam conference -- might be a blessing in disguise. He replied: It is very well disguised.

Barack Obama might not see the silver lining on the loss of the 60th Democratic Senate vote, but it has several dimensions. Consider four of them.

He now has no choice but to moderate his aggravating agenda of breaking more and more sectors of society to the saddle of...