PROGRESS IN BERKELEY:

After a day of enraged confrontation outside Berkeley City Hall between anti-war and pro-military demonstrators, the City Council appeared ready late Tuesday night to rescind its controversial decision to tell the U.S. Marines they are “unwelcome intruders” for operating a downtown recruiting center.

A majority of the nine-member council also leaned toward issuing a statement declaring that it is opposed to the war in Iraq but supports U.S. troops.

Hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue. So let’s accept that tribute in this case. And congrats to the “pro-military demonstrators.” It’s not 1969 any more, even in Berkeley.