Laudably, Mr Baucus has pursued a moderate course, rejecting a proposal for a government-run insurance scheme.

ECONOMIST: A long-awaited plan

While diseases such as HIV, malaria and tuberculosis have laudably gained the attention of the global health community, NCDs have been routinely ignored.

FORBES: Pharma Be Aware: The Next Killers

Professor Nutt has, laudably, staked the credibility of science in public policy on getting politicians to put away their moral sentiments and face up to statistics.

FORBES: Is It Better To Shoot Up Or Smoke Pot Than Have A Shot?

In addition, the NSC's Clarke (who, it must be acknowledged, during his time as its counterterrorism chief - in his words - "failed" to discern and address adequately the menace of WMDs in the form of hijacked planes) was laudably beavering away at another grave danger: the possibility of cyber-strikes aimed at the computers that enable America's critical infrastructure.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Anti-anti-missile defense