Posted 6:32 AM by Gene

But liberals also need to seize the initiative by speaking candidly and not defensively about the social causes of poverty. These include family breakdown and the heavy concentration of very poor people in a small number of neighborhoods in our big cities. Just because some conservatives are tempted, wrongly, to blame all poverty on problems in the family doesn't mean that liberals should shy away from talking about the difficulties faced by children in fatherless homes.

When I read NEWS HACKS on poverty I hold my nose. It's the usual thing: with conservatives it's too many poor people. With liberals it's not enough money. And the hacks make WAY too much money to be a disinterested party. The divide becomes worse with dissembling scribblers like E.J., the sort of knee-jerk ideologues who will NEVER concede there are bad ideas on BOTH sides, just so long as they can prop their feet up on the desk and expel another expensive column. Occasionally they may put on the thinking cap, but their heads feel better with it off.