Columnists walk a tightrope. To be either too bland or too savage usually erodes their following and, ultimately, their livelihood. One pundit who never errs on the side of niceness is Patrick Buchanan, a former aide to Presidents Nixon and Reagan. He earns a reported $500,000 a year from a column in 180 newspapers, lectures and daily TV exposure on CNN's Crossfire and the syndicated McLaughlin Group and Capital Gang. Blending unyielding right-wing views with incendiary rhetoric, he stirs deep passions. Last week Buchanan was teetering on the tightrope. His latest outbursts had even longtime allies accusing him of virtual or...
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