By Dave Andrusko

Editor's note. Please send your much appreciated thoughts and comments to daveandrusko@gmail.com.

As so often is the case, a story in yesterday's Washington Post is more revealing for what it doesn't say than for what it does say. Let's look at three aspects of the account which summarizes a few of the results of questions asked in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

First, the headline tells us that "Most Americans Want Sotomayor on Court; Poll Indicates That 62 Percent Think Federal Judge Should Be Confirmed by Senate." Second, and later in the story written by Jon Cohen and Robert Barnes, "The majority of Americans who want the court to retain the landmark abortion decision Roe v. Wade has remained remarkably steady over the years, and currently six in 10 Americans would want the new justice to vote to uphold it."

Third, and not even mentioned in the story, is the response of 1,001 adults to questions surrounding their opinions on health care "reform."

First, why wouldn't 62% think Sonia Sotomayor, currently a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York, be confirmed? Considering that most press accounts are the functional equivalent of throwing down palm tree branches at her feet as she arrives in Washington, DC, it's surprising that the figure is so low.

The pro-abortion Democratic leadership is pushing for confirmation hearings to begin in a couple of weeks. This rush-rush offensive is of a piece with everything pro-abortion President Obama and his allies in the House and Senate are doing. Ram through [fill in the blank] and worry about the details after the fact.

While there is little in her record as a judge on abortion, we know that "from 1980 until October 1992, Judge Sotomayor served on the board -- at times as vice president and at times as chairman of the litigation committee -- of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund," according to Edward Whelan. "The New York Times in 1992 described her as 'a top policy maker on the board.' During that time period, the fund filed briefs in not one, not two, but at least six prominent court cases in strong support of 'abortion rights.'"

More recently, in discussing a different case, the New York Times wrote, the "board monitored all litigation undertaken by the fund's lawyers, and a number of those lawyers said Ms. Sotomayor was an involved and ardent supporter of their various legal efforts."

Obviously, there are many questions yet to be answered. (And that doesn't even count what might be in the 300 boxes of records which just showed up in connection with her work for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund.)

Second, although the percentage of self-identified pro-lifers is at an all-time high, it is generally true that support for Roe v. Wade has been "remarkably steady." But, again, considering the manner in which the decision is typically described, why not?

For instance, take the language of the Post/ABC News poll: "The Supreme Court legalized abortion 36 years ago in the ruling known as Roe versus Wade. If that case came before the court again, would you want Sotomayor to vote to (uphold) Roe versus Wade, or vote to (overturn) it?"

Nothing to suggest that Roe essentially legalized abortion on demand, for any reason, or no reason, or against reason. And nothing to suggest that 90%-93% of all abortions are performed because a woman does not wish to be pregnant at that particular time.

Third, Obama and the Democratic leadership is determined to steamroll through a "reform"–actually a fundamental restructuring–of the entire health care industry. This is a big deal by any standard.

When asked, 84% of the respondents in the poll said they had "some form of health insurance or health care coverage." Eighty-one percent said they were either very satisfied (42%) or somewhat satisfied with their health coverage (39%).

Then came clear signals just how afraid people are of Obama's health care "reform."

The Post/ABC News poll asked "How concerned are you, if at all, that current efforts to reform the health care system will [ITEM] - very concerned, somewhat concerned, concerned, not too concerned, or not at all concerned?" Here are most of the "items":

a. Reduce the quality of health care you receive
81% (58% very concerned; 23% somewhat concerned)

b. Reduce your health insurance coverage
82% (55% very concerned; 27% somewhat concerned)

c. Increase your health care costs
84% (62% very concerned; 22% somewhat concerned)

d. Increase government bureaucracy in the health care system
78% (51% very concerned; 27% somewhat concerned)

e. Limit your choices of doctors or treatments
79% (56% very concerned; 23% somewhat concerned

f. Sharply increase the federal deficit
84 % (56% very concerned; 28% somewhat concerned)

Keep all of this uppermost in your minds in the weeks and months to come. We don't know that much about Judge Sotomayor and the pro-abortion Democrats are trying to rush through her confirmation. Most Americans are satisfied with their health care and profoundly worried about "reforms" in the making.