But Ms. Quinn, a close ally of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as well as a leading candidate to succeed him, said she was sympathetic with his decision to delay a parade in the face of Pentagon opposition.
Some in publishing were more sympathetic to her decision to quit, noting that the high visibility of her choices brought unexpected pressures and criticism, as it did when Ms. Winfrey picked a literary novel by the author Jonathan Franzen.
Some of the documents, released last week after a judge excoriated the archdiocese for trying to keep the records from public view, ignited a public outcry because they showed that Cardinal Law made decisions sympathetic to priests well into the 1990's.
Segev is less sympathetic toward Israel's decision to attack first.
The judge, while appearing sympathetic to the Republicans' decision to bring the lawsuit, said she had not yet decided on the standing issue before her.
Even the most sympathetic characters, though, make decisions that are far too human to be doubted.
(You should read his terrific blog post on this on newyorker.com) Rick is sympathetic with the President's decision to wink at everyone (signalling that he is for gay marriage) but not quite saying the words.
Colleagues have accused the prime minister's office of backgrounding journalists from sympathetic news organisations on cabinet decisions.
The signs suggest that the state agency is sympathetic to the museum, though a decision may not come until spring.
Thus came the most contentious feature of Cohen's tenure as mayor of Amsterdam: his decision to give a sympathetic ear even to insular and orthodox Muslim communities.
