Obituaries

Although I thought he had already died, one-time spook and writer Tom Braden, 92, has died in Denver, according to his daughter.

Braden should be better known than he is. He reduced political discourse to shouting and theatrics when he helped create CNN's Crossfire in 1982. The fact he and his wife lacked any sense in using birth control methods or refused to exercise self-control didn't stop him from milking it; long before the Duggars became national celebrities, Braden wrote a book about his experiences of having too many children, which in turn spawned the 1970s show Eight is Enough.