A weekly round up of recent commentary by assorted voices who either attempt to strike a balanced note on heated debates and controversial issues, or improve our ability to find our own sense of balance by exposing us to new information and different points-of-view.
This post from Steve Clemons caught my eye largely because Steve does not dispute the need for Presidents to occasionally cozy-up to despots; instead, he challenges our current President for setting a standard that’s simply not achievable in the real world, where our “friends” may be as flawed as our enemies and ourselves.
Elsewhere at Clemons’ left-leaning blog, Scott Paul drops a “one good thing” on us, highlighting the wisdom of Senator John Warner.
The Gun Toting Liberal takes it to Hillary and other D’s for paying more attention to the loudest of the Left rather than a super-majority of Democratic voters.
Dick Polman semi-defends the victimization ploy of Hillary’s campaign. Money quote: “… Hillary is acting just like lots of guy politicians who find themselves in a fix. Acting aggrieved, and playing for sympathy, is standard stuff; the gender card is merely the latest incarnation. It might not be particularly noble or justified, but, as Donald Rumsfeld might say to Democratic primary voters, you go to battle with the candidate you have, not with the candidate you might want or wish to have.”
Andrew Sullivan scores a hat trick with posts on (1) agents of change, (2) cable news and partisanship, and (3) compromising the ideal for the practical.
Becky Garrison considers mean atheists vs. mean Christians. Her conclusion: ” … it seems to me there’s too much at stake for us not to start exploring the common areas of our humanity, so we can start to build bridges instead of bombs. How can we all move past our prejudices and our distrust of others so we can allow for a safe space to dialogue?”
Dennis Sanders ponders conservatives who care.
MSM Balance Award of the Week: N. Gregory Mankiw and the NYT for “Beyond Those Health Care Numbers.”
Non-Political Balance Award of the Week: Amba spotlights Code Name Nora on the merits of aging gracefully.