Michael Kinsley resigns from Los Angeles Times

SF Gate ^ | 9/13/05 | (AP) --

[BurbankKarl]

Former political commentator and columnist Michael Kinsley has resigned as editorial and opinion editor of the Los Angeles Times after 15 months at the paper.

Andres Martinez, hired by Kinsley last September from The New York Times to be editorial page editor, will take on a broader role overseeing the Times' opinion pages, publisher Jeffrey M. Johnson announced Tuesday.

Kinsley, 54, said in an interview with The New York Times in July that his arrangement to commute to his job from his home in Seattle had become a problem and that he was in discussions to change his role at the paper. At the time, Kinsley said he anticipated writing a column for the paper and consulting on Internet strategies.

Johnson's announcement said that while he spoke with Kinsley about other roles, "I concluded that it was best to make a clean break and I wish him well."

A message seeking comment from Kinsley was not returned.

Kinsley was hired by Times editor John S. Carroll, who stepped down from his post in July, one month after Johnson became publisher. Carroll was replaced by Dean Baquet. As part of the management transition, Johnson also gained authority over the editorial and opinion pages.

[asp1]

"Journalist" If my kid said that word I'd wash his mouth out with soap!

[Billthedrill]

Must be that last column he wrote.

Yes - very seriously, it makes you think about that one, doesn't it?

[Popman]

The NYT, then the LA Times.

What's next? The Ft Worth Star Ledger sharing column space with Molly Ivins.

[bray]

So they bringing in someone more Conservative, like Carville??

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

[LibFreeOrDie]

Well, Martinez has a cat named "Trotsky." What does that tell ya?

[Popman]

Obviously — obviously in hindsight, that is — we should have spent the money to strengthen the New Orleans levees. President Clinton should have done it. Presidents Bush the Elder and Reagan should have done it. As Tim Noah notes in Slate, warnings about the perilous New Orleans levees go back at least to Fanny Trollope in 1832. In fact, the one president who is pretty much in the clear on this is our current Bush — not because he did anything about the levees but because even if he had started something, it probably wouldn't have been finished yet.

His last column

Maybe his masters at the LA Times just can't handle the truth, even from a liberal sycophant

[cricket]

" I've learned a l lot, and made (I hope) some friends for life."

Funny he adds that. . .

No 'friends for life' for any Leftist. . .unless you stay idiologically, with the pack. . .the propaganda. . .the spin; the Party line; that keeps you in touch with 'friends'.

Become an 'individual'; develop a conscience and begin thinking or more bravely. . .challenging 'the way'; and either you are gone. . .or your friends are. Forever. . .

. . .and having life-long friendships requires loyalty. Never see that in a stab-you-in-the-back Leftist, for sure. . .Michael does seem a bit lost here. . .

That said. . .don't know what the problem is; he did 'tell' on CNN; but his firing preceded. . Michael may be obnoxious; but all Lefties are. . .they call it empathy. . .

[FreePaul]

I guess I'll have to be the "reporter" here and ask:
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?

The Why? of course is WHY DO I CARE???

[SteveMcKing]

A proper resignation contains nothing but the date you intend to leave.

Suck-ups may give "thank-yous", idiots may add "regrets", but for long-term legal protection it is better not to reveal anything within the letter.

[msnimje]

Interesting that he snitched on CNN telling their guests to "get angry" just this past weekend and now he resigns.
I wonder if there is a connection.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

For once I liked Mike for telling the truth in his op-ed. Proves no good deed goes unpunished.

[dennisw]

He has MS and it might be slowing him down.

[spyone]

I was wondering the same thing. The left doesn't like it when one of their own makes them look bad.

[StAnDeliver]

Parkinson's. Hard to travel. Wife was in Seattle (Head of the Gates Foundation). Hmmm. Yea, he's married. I thought he was a poofter, too.

[Mount Athos]

Kinsley has more integrity than a lot of commentators on the left, I'll say that

[demkicker]

I can't recall when my flabber has ever been more gasted.

I'm going to remember that one, LOL!

[dennisw]

I'm sorry that he has Parkinson's. He is far from the worst on the left and actually tries to use logic to make an argument

[Rider on the Rain]

Kinsley has more integrity than a lot of commentators on the left, I'll say that

Well, you're probably right, but that ain't saying much. IMO, he is an ememy of freedom and sucks, big time, but that's just little ole Tennessee farm boy patriotic conservative me.

[jiggyboy]

Interesting that he snitched on CNN telling their guests to "get angry" just this past weekend and now he resigns.

Nope. He wrote years ago that they shouted the same thing into his own ear for most of the first couple of his appearances on Crossfire with Pat Buchannan.

BTW, he announced in 2001 that he has Parkinson's disease.

[RobRoy]

>>Maybe some lesser known Network has a need for a guy who has a continual bubbling gathering of spit in the corner of his mouth to spew his leftist drivel.... Somehow.. I doubt it :-)

How about Seattle Weekly.