Thursday's Opinions: Democrats, skip the civil war

How Trump could surprise the world on Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking; Castro was a false liberator; Stick a sterling silver fork in Trump's 'populism'; Can this man save France from the far right?; Why Italy's upcoming referendum matters; Democrats should pick their health-care battles; Weapons treaties look ready to unravel, and that's a big problem; Trump pledged to 'end' sanctuary cities. Common sense, not threats, should guide him.; CNN devoted nearly 20,000 words to a single Trump tweet (and that’s okay); Happy Hour Roundup; Politico national editor Kristin Roberts leaving site; Republicans suddenly discover that Obamacare repeal might not be so awesome, after all; Trump is building valuable bridges to Congress; How to grill a Trump nominee     Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images   E.J. Dionne Jr. Democrats, skip the civil war In the wake of the 2016 election, the party risks leaping from complacency to panic. Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   Latest Columns Dennis Ross How Trump could surprise the world on Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking Can the new administration succeed where others have failed? Read more »   Charles Lane Castro was a false liberator In South Africa, Cuba fought apartheid. In the rest of the continent, Fidel's best friend was an Ethiopian tyrant. Read more »     Dana Milbank Stick a sterling silver fork in Trump's 'populism' So much for draining the swamp. Read more »   Christine Ockrent Can this man save France from the far right? François Fillon, the new leader of the center-right party, may be the only option to defeat Marine Le Pen's National Front. Read more »     Robert J. Samuelson Why Italy's upcoming referendum matters If it fails, the spillover effects for Europe could be nasty. Read more »   Editorial Cartoons Tom Toles Ann Telnaes Republican congressional investigators are willing to hold Trump to the same standard, as long as it’s this one Trump’s new hat reflects his commitment to the First Amendment Same as it ever was. Trump says: "Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!"   ADVERTISEMENT   The Post’s View Democrats should pick their health-care battles Democrats can oppose Tom Price's policies, but they should not block his appointment. By Editorial Board  •  Read more »   Weapons treaties look ready to unravel, and that's a big problem Agreements on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons are under stress. By Editorial Board  •  Read more »   Trump pledged to 'end' sanctuary cities. Common sense, not threats, should guide him. Better to negotiate terms than punish millions of Americans. By Editorial Board  •  Read more »   Latest Blogs CNN devoted nearly 20,000 words to a single Trump tweet (and that’s okay) Flag-burning thing roared on CNN all day long, as well it should have. By Erik Wemple  •  Erik Wemple  •  Read more »   Happy Hour Roundup Our nightly wrap-up of news and opinion. By Paul Waldman  •  The Plum Line  •  Read more »   Politico national editor Kristin Roberts leaving site It's unclear where she is headed next. By Erik Wemple  •  Erik Wemple  •  Read more » Republicans suddenly discover that Obamacare repeal might not be so awesome, after all Republicans suddenly find out that repeal might have consequences. By Greg Sargent  •  The Plum Line  •  Read more »   Trump is building valuable bridges to Congress It appears that President Trump will leverage his Cabinet's relationships with Congress to help make his campaign promises a reality. It's a smart move. By Ed Rogers  •  PostPartisan  •  Read more »   How to grill a Trump nominee Are Trump's nominees in touch with reality? By Jennifer Rubin  •  Right Turn  •  Read more »   Recommended for you   PostEverything Sharp opinions and smart commentary by outside contributors, in your inbox daily. Sign Up »         Share Opinions:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you are signed up for Opinions. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2016 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071