Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. argues in his most recent column that it’s time to stand up to the right wing. Here’s a thought: how about, E.J., standing up, even just once, to the left wing?

Dionne has a long-time habit of praising conservatives whenever they make critical comments of other conservatives. He did that recently when he praised Michael Gerson for criticizing the “Tea Party excess” and pointing out the need to distinguish between “the injudicious from the outrageous.”

As it happens, I agreed with what Gerson wrote. But when will E.J. follow the example of his Washington Post colleague and deplore the “excess” and the “outrageous” comments and actions within liberalism and the modern Democratic Party? They have been amply documented on CONTENTIONS and elsewhere for a great long while now. It’s actually a fairly target-rich environment. He could start with some of what was said by Journolisters. Just a suggestion.

Yet Dionne never seems able to do to (and for) his side what he praises Gerson for doing to (and for) conservatism, which is to police its excesses.  Unless and until Dionne begins to do what he asks of others, it will be hard to take his pronouncements terribly seriously.