Sunday Roundup

This week was a study in contrasting visions for the country. On Tuesday, President Obama gave his last State of the Union address, inviting us to end the "rancor and suspicion" that have enveloped us. That invitation was soundly rejected two nights later in the Republican presidential debate, which featured little but rancor and suspicion: sniping about birtherism (Canadian style), "New York values," our military as "a disaster" and President Obama as "a petulant child." At one point, discussing Donald Trump's idea to ban Muslim immigrants, an incredulous Jeb Bush, sounding like an uncool dad failing to get through to a room of adolescents, pleaded, "we're running for the presidency of the United States here!" Indeed. A good time to remember the words Pope Francis spoke to Congress, which President Obama repeated on Tuesday: "To imitate the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take their place."