The 'Moderate' Hamas

I've been focused so intently on the NY Times lately (hey, it's a hard paper to ignore) that I miss little gems like this: According to the Associated Press, Hamas is a pragmatic, moderate bunch of mass-murderers that is anxious to engage in dialogue with the Zionist entity:

Hamas is committed to the destruction of Israel and has carried out dozens of attacks that have killed hundreds of Israelis in recent years, but the group also is pragmatic and has proven itself willing to make ideological compromises when it suits its political interests.

Although Hamas' more moderate West Bank leadership had indicated the possibility of talks with Israel, the more hard-line Gaza branch has ruled out negotiations.

The headline: Hamas Might Negotiate With Israel. How nice of them! How moderate!

This is the AP brand of "balance": Give a "hat tip" to Hamas murdering Israeli civilians (tastefully omitting the latter word) while treating that gang of thugs as morally equivalent to Israel.