While he may not say it, the message is clear: President Obama’s proposed two-year freeze on federal wages is a response to this month’s midterm election, in which his party took a beating in the polls.

Voters have expressed a lack of confidence with the direction of the country and the economy, concern about out-of-control spending and a distaste for winner-take-all party politics in Washington.

In this one proposal, Obama has moved to address a major concern while facing the ire of one of his core constituency groups in federal employee unions. At the same time, he has adopted an idea championed by Republican lawmakers, signaling a willingness to work with them as full partners.

It may be that no other nation in history has suffered a diplomatic catastrophe like the one the release of 250,000 secret State Department cables has imposed on this country.

The cables were apparently turned over to a group called WikiLeaks by Bradley Manning, a disgruntled Army intelligence analyst who is now in custody. They contain U.S. diplomats’ candid and often critical comments on the leaders and policies of other nations, including many allies as well as opponents. (“Wiki” is a term for a website open to rapid updates from a wide variety of sources.)

The new disclosures, which follow the release of previous batches of videos and memos on U.S. military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, have left political and diplomatic figures reeling at the highest levels.

The Public Utilities Commission should have a straightforward case when deciding whether Central Maine Power can continue with its “smart meter” installation program.

On one hand, the commissioners have information filed by the company that shows the meters, which emit a radio signal that allows them to be read remotely, have not been proven to pose any health or safety danger.

On the other hand, they have speculation from opponents who blame the meters for reported muscle spasms, headaches and insomnia, and unformed suspicions about cancer. They call for a halt to their installation until more research can definitively determine the safety of the devices.