Today's Opinions

	Opinions Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009 Web-Wide News Alerts MyWebpost Get The Post's take on whatever you're reading -- anywhere on the Web. » Sign Up | Learn More Harold Meyerson The shrinking stimulus State and local governments are draining federal dollars, deepening the U.S.'s decline. George F. Will This will not end well A halfhearted embrace of a half-baked nonstrategy makes a loss in Afghanistan likely. E.J. Dionne A Goldilocks strategy He bought himself time on Afghanistan, but there will be hell to pay if his policy fails. Steven Rattner Trashing the rescuers At his confirmation hearing, Ben Bernanke should be thanked, not trashed. Robert Kagan Obama's lonely decision Why did he turn against the foreign policy establishment on Afghanistan? Robert J. Samuelson Job creation made hard A bad situation made somewhat worse by Obama. Tom TOLES Click on the image for the full-size cartoon. Editorials Baltimore's rip-off mayor: Even penny ante crimes should spur Sheila Dixon's resignation What Mr. Obama changed: Four ways in which the president shifted the Afghan strategy his generals proposed. Extend the Estate Tax: Congress should hold its nose and vote to make the 2009 tax permanent.