You say again - people speak about "the spirit of Vatican II" as giving them authority to make statements that contradict what the Council said. That's pretty much everyone who writes for NCR.

Please show some evidence around that *claim" please?  Suggest that it comes down to interpretation and the eye of the beholder.  An expert on the VII spirit is O'Malley - from his writings, presentations, courses, and questions directed at him that he answered....he would agree with much of the NCR interpretations.

In fact, suggest from your own criteria above - 
"....the Church that sees Vatican II as a substantive reform in progress, stalled by opposition and indifference..." that most NCR writers fall into this category.  

And then you add further down - *blaming* each side does not help and yet that is exactly what you do with your alleged judgment/pronouncement.