Some things are true. And some things are not so true. The dominant view in American political life is that the New York Times is a liberal newspaper. But that all depends on where you're standing. If you're political views are on the hard right, then the Times is a liberal paper. But if you apply some degree of skepitism, then the Times is a mainstream voice that occasionally embarasses conservatives and Republicans, if only because conservatives and Republicans are a big pinata just asking for humiliation most of the time.

When I think of the New York Times, I am reminded of how that newspaper helped sell the Iraq war by publishing rumors and falsehoods on the front page about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction which simply did not exist. Much has been written about Judith Miller's front page reporting on this issue, for which the Times eventually apologized. The next time some conservative tells you that the Times is a liberal arm of the media, just utter the name "Judith Miller" and walk away politely.

To the extent the Times is liberal, it falls into the trap that entraps many liberals, which is to appease the right wing in an effort to show that it remains open-minded. That includes jumping into bed with the enemy. The Times recently hired an opinion columnist, William Kristol, who is one of the uber-conservatives who regularly appear on TV news and opinion shows. Kristol is a die-hard right-winger who loves the Iraq war and thinks that loyal Americans should embrace the grotesque policies of the Bush administration.

When the Times hired Kristol, someone realized that Kristol actually argued that the Times should be prosecuted for investigating the Bush administration's terror policies, which include monitoring international banking transactions. It's not as if terrorists know that the United States was doing this, as any corrupt businessman or international terror financer would know that their financial shenanigans are being watched. No matter. Kristol argued that the Times should be prosecuted for doing its job as a high-profile newspaper.

As Think Progress notes, the Times shrugged off Kristol's ridiculous suggestion. This is why leftists laugh at liberals. Liberals try to show they are open-minded but remain wishy-washy. Leftists at the Times (if any exist), would have told Kristol to go screw himself.