Daniel Okrent

If there had been three public editors before me, the body might have absorbed it a little bit better. ”

That the Op-Ed page is very important in readers' and the nation's perception of the Times, the perception of its editorial positions, and of its implicit editorial positions as expressed by the publisher's choice of people who are given the freedom to write opinion columns. ”

Now I worry. If people ended up liking me, did I do the job wrong? So I decided they didn't end up liking me - they ended up being able to deal with me. ”

I was probably being a little cocky, which I do when I feel that I don't know what I'm talking about. ”

I think Tierney is also more libertarian than he is conservative in the conventional sense. ”

I think on civilian casualties they could do more. It's actually something I've discussed with the editors involved. They're aware of it, and I'm hopeful that there will be more reporting on that. ”

If you really hate George Bush, you don't want to read about his hobbies or that he's nice to his friends or that he's good company at dinner. ”

I'm afraid we'll see reporters stop chasing quotes around the same time dogs stop chasing cars. ”

That first week, I also went to Washington. That was really tough. I sympathize with those Washington figures who have to face 40 Times Washington bureau reporters. They ask hard questions and they're relentless. And they were quite suspicious and quite dubious about me. ”

But I think it's undeniable that the Times is a liberal paper. ”