Although Sagan was a mewling, puking liberal, he was no commie--unlike Gould. And, his science had much more integrity than Gould's. But then again, the only scientists the media loves are left of center--no question.
I beg to differ. Sagan's "science" was often years or decades out of date, and he wrote--as if he were an expert--in fields totally outside his knowledge or understanding.
I am very much in favor of spreading science beyond the ivory tower, but bypassing peer review is not a good idea.
Still, when he was in his element, he could write some very good pieces. In fact, I even made one of them required reading for my students.