Goodbye to gobbledygook?

Uncle Sam is gearing up for some plain speaking, but you'll want to look elsewhere for great literature. Under a law signed by President Barack Obama last fall, the USA is supposed to communicate with its citizenry in plain English. You wouldn't think they'd need a law for this, especially when matters of war and peace are at stake, but let's not dismiss the whole thing as pointless sound and fury. By July, every agency must have an official devoted to curing the plague of bad prose that's been such an American tragedy. And the latest guidelines for improving federal writing aren't half bad when approached without great expectations (not to mention pride and prejudice). Once this effort gets on the road, it might work -- and even restore a little faith in government. It may seem quixotic, but we can't help seeing a farewell to some harms.