One thrill of writing the first two books of his trilogy, Cronin found, was the chance to delve into another, less palatable side of himself.
What was largely absent from the speech, which was basically a rallying cry for the President's supporters, was any reference to the less palatable side of the citizenship bargain: the obligation to pay for the social safety net, and to ensure it doesn't eventually swallow up the rest of the federal budget, including many of the public investments liberals want to make.
Whereas tightened border controls and encampment will only foster underground economies and harder social divide, institutional reform will bring much more palatable side effects: improved efficiency, better service delivery, and safer communities.
"It's politically palatable on both sides of the aisle," he said.
But compromises only work when the alternatives look even less palatable, to both sides.(Photo credit: AFP).
Analysts think US mediators might be looking for ways to shift positions on settlements palatable to both sides.
Moussa, a well-known former diplomat and secretary-general of the Arab League, is bland enough to be palatable to most sides.
Mr. Swire, a former chief counselor for privacy at the Office of Management and Budget, said he hoped to strike a balance that was palatable to both sides.
It would be dishonest, and foolish, to suggest that hammering out a compromise palatable to all sides is going to be easy.
Mr. LeMoyne, a special United Nations representative to Colombia, met with rebels here in Los Pozos, a hamlet used for negotiations, to try to come up with a proposal palatable to both sides.
