If I had to choose a favorite "conservative" columnist it would definitely be George Will. He is educated, intelligent and far less the ideologue than many of his conservative brother and sister columnists. On the progressive side, among my favorites is Paul Krugman, a NY Times columnist and an economist (I think) by trade, whose ideas and philosophies resonate with mine as much as anyone. The following clip from ABC's "This Week" pits the two intellectuals in a spirited exchange about the Great Depression.

I've never actually seen Krugman before. He's kinda funny looking. Still, I like how he thinks.