ALL WELL AND GOOD UNTIL YOU HIT THE TIPPING POINT:

Obama's Flip-Flops for the Public Good: The president has been praised for his flexibility, not condemned for his flip-flops (Kenneth T. Walsh, June 4, 2009, US News)

The list of his fluctuations is lengthy:

* He once promised Planned Parenthood that his first act as president would be to sign an abortion-rights bill into law. Now he says it is "not my highest legislative priority."

* He pledged to gay activists that he would repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell'' policy, which allows gays to serve in the armed forces if they don't reveal their sexual preference and gives them the assurance that no one will ask them about it. Instead, he has delayed any action to change the system.

* While he released previously classified memos describing the CIA's harsh interrogation techniques, he is now trying to legally block the release of photos showing abuse of detainees, reversing his earlier position. He says his advisers persuaded him that distribution of the photos would inflame anti-American passions and endanger U.S. troops.

* He has reinstituted the previous administration's practice of using military commissions to prosecute suspected terrorists. Obama says that while he opposed how George W. Bush used these commissions, he now supports them in some cases because they will be reformed to ensure "meaningful due process," such as by giving detainees greater choice in selecting their lawyers and by limiting hearsay evidence.

* Perhaps most dramatic and politically perilous, he has decided to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq by next August, a delay of three months from his former timetable. But he also plans to leave tens of thousands of troops behind to train Iraqis, protect U.S. interests, and root out al Qaeda insurgents. Many antiwar Democrats backed Obama in key primaries and caucuses last year because they believed he would end the war as soon as possible. Some of them are disappointed; others are angry.