A brief intermission from the weightier matters for a some overdue credit where credit is due. As regular readers know, I’m pretty picky about my political reading fare, especially when it comes to pundits. But there are a few political blogs that are must-reads for me. I thought I’d pass along my recommendations and let…
Pundits
How to Compromise
I appreciate the Gail Collins/David Brooks exchanges, and this week’s was especially good. They played at a sort of reverse one-upmanship, exchanging concessions of liberal or conservative sacred cows as an example of bipartisanship. Beyond their ideas (which I think are good), the exchange is worth considering for why it is possible. I see at…
What If Government Can’t Fix This Economy?
David Brooks has suggested as much in two columns this month. It used to be an article of faith among conservatives that the economy was self correcting and the government should simply stay out of the way. While moderates usually favor some federal government intervention in preserving rights and enforcing regulations, they have often been…
Pundits, Part II
In contrast to George F. Will, I continue to enjoy David Brooks. I appreciate his Hamiltonian conservatism and his commitment to moderation in our politics. His latest column is no exception. In contrast to Will’s goal of a political victory, Brooks’s goals is a governance victory. The question he poses to Republicans is not “How…
Pundits, Part I
There was a time when I really enjoyed reading George F. Will. His regular Newsweek columns challenged me to think more deeply about my political views. Though we don’t generally share a perspective, he sometimes convinced me of his position. In many ways, he seemed to be the model of the politically engaged intellectual. This…
Brooks on (Im)Moderation
David Brooks is the only political columnist I follow regularly. Unlike most of the others I’ve encountered, he does a good job of leaving the shrillness behind for more nuanced argument, usually balanced with a good measure of praise where praise is due. So when he writes a column like the one published yesterday, it…