<p>I have to say I was still surprised by the news of Howell Raines' and Gerald Boyd's resignation. It wasn't because they didn't deserve to resign. What has happened to the country's paper of record in the past two years has been nothing short of horrifying. From blatant imposition of left-liberal spin, to fabrications, to corner-cutting by Raines favorites to the trashing of the NYT brand, it has been an extraordinary story of how one person could do that much damage in so short a time. But I still feared that the close relationship between Mr. Raines and the publisher of the Times, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., would ensure his survival. I was wrong. How thrilled I am to have been wrong.</p>