Hammer don't hurt 'em

Charles Krauthammer is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Washington Post who has had a fascinating life and an impressive career. I used to read his columns more than I do now, but I still check in from time to time. Here's a quick description of his style from an online biography:

The late Meg Greenfield, editorial page editor of The Washington Post, called Charles Krauthammer's column "independent and hard to peg politically. It's a very tough column. There's no 'trendy' in it. You never know what is going to happen next."

In the four above sentences, two words stick out to me: independent and tough. Even though Krauthammer has been confined to a wheelchair since age 22, I long ago nicknamed him "The Hammer" for how tough and independent his columns were. I don't know how many times I'd finish reading an article of his and, whether I agreed with him or not, say to myself, "Man, he just dropped the Hammer on him/them/that issue/etc."

But of course, even The Hammer has a soft side. I found it in his latest column, "Marcel, my brother."