WHY DO ONLY THE HOUSE CONSERVATIVES STEER AWAY FROM PARTISANSHIP AT THE TIMES? (via Glenn Dryfoos):

Times Hires New Conservative Columnist (RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA, 3/12/09, NY Times)

[Ross G. Douthat's] writing steers away from partisanship — he frequently criticizes Republicans — or doctrine, showing a concern for income inequality that is usually the terrain of more liberal writers. On abortion, he said in an interview, “I’m sort of a squishy pro-lifer,” interested in finding areas of compromise. He initially favored the war in Iraq, but later opposed it.

In the spirit of the Age of Obama, he's a quota hire but mixed breed enough not to scare the Timesmen.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 12, 2009 11:36 AM