Close your eyes

You know, a week ago I got pretty annoyed by Jeffrey Goldberg's charge that "the Left" sees white intolerance but doesn't acknowledge Muslim intolerance. A couple of days later, I gave him credit for showing that he "gets it" when it comes to recognizing that most Jews are behind President Obama's efforts to move Israel toward security in a moral and just manner. But today, he proves that he lacks graciousness, once again rolling out his "apologist" card against Roger Cohen. This is not a defense of Cohen's naiveté toward the Iranian regime, which I have referenced in the past; but, Cohen's read of the Iranian people, based on the experience of actually getting to know them, has been invaluable and, at times, courageous. Did he project his belief in the dignity of the Iranian people onto the corrupt Iranian government? Sure, and, as Goldberg notes, Cohen admits to that failing. Would it have taken Goldberg that much effort to show some class, or at least to shut up? Apparently so.

UPDATE: Andrew Sullivan is rightly appalled by his friend Jeffrey Goldberg. Maybe he will reconsider his assent to Goldberg's comments a week ago that "The left, generally speaking, doesn't want to acknowledge Muslim intolerance."