Cal Thomas offers apology to Rachel Maddow and she accepts. They will do lunch

[stevenleser]

The apology seems pretty heartfelt and genuine.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2012/02/rachel-maddow-and-my-lesson-civility/275906

When one writes about moral convictions, it's probably a good idea consistently to live up to them. That way people can still disagree with your convictions, but they have a difficult time accusing you of hypocrisy.

Last week at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, I failed to live up to one of my highest principles.
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The next morning I felt bad about it, so I called Maddow to apologize. It wasn't one of those meaningless "if I've offended anyone ..." apologies; it was heartfelt. I had embarrassed myself and was a bad example to those who read my column and expect better from me.

Maddow could not have been more gracious. She immediately accepted my apology. On her show, she said publicly, "I completely believe his apology. I completely accept his apology." To be forgiven by one you have wronged is a blessing, it's even cleansing.
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I have many liberal friends acquired over the years. They are impossible to avoid in the media, but I don't wish to avoid them. They became my friends because I stopped seeing them as labels and began seeing them as persons with innate worth.
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I have had several conversations with Cal Thomas in the green room at Fox. I can say that he has always been nice to me and seemed like a nice person in general. Obviously, there are positions he holds that are completely unacceptable to me, but that is another story.

[Luminous Animal]

1. That was a lovely column and I am glad that Rachel was gracious...

I have several Republican friends. We NEVER discuss politics in social situations but will gladly go at it privately.

[Enrique]

2. one of his highest values?

an eighty-year-old man not throwing around juvenile insults is his highest value? I think its better if he doesnt do that, but its not that big a deal. All this talk about civility is really beside the point to me. What does it matter, they do it in politics, they do it in professional wrestling, and its equally fake and equally inconsequential.

He says that now its hard to call him a hypocrite. Au contraire, Ive been listening to his little radio commentaries for years and what Cal Thomas does is standard phony moralizing, in the service of the GOP agenda. Pure hypocrisy and it has nothing to do with his personal behavior.

[Crunchy Frog]

3. Cal seems to be one of those cons who has a tiny streak of humanity in him

and once in awhile it actually shows through his usual BS. This the most human sounding thing I've ever seen come out of him.

Rachel is the very definition of graciousness.

[Leopolds Ghost]

4. Good for him. Most of these guys in DC / NY know each other and eat together

The ideological warfare is for the benefit of the cameras and their respective parties.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

5. not surprised

I've spoken to a fairly well-known progressive talking head who's as lefty as they come, and he once told me that he counts Thomas as one of his best friends and swore he was a good guy.

Since learning that, I've noticed that Thomas does seem to be the kind of guy who can disagree with you, but usually refrains from the 'you hate america' nonsense that dominates the discourse from the right these days.