Out From Under The Strib's Bushel

J.D. e-mails on Lileks:

I think your take on Lileks is correct; he will be better off elsewhere. I always wondered about the odd compartmentalizing that must have been involved in cranking out inoffensive Quirks, while letting it all hang out with the Bleats. It would have been much more interesting to publish James's critiques of Garrison Keillor's Old Scout pieces, for example--a sort of point counterpoint that would have generated some much-needed buzz for the wheezy old Strib and showcased the two most notable local humorists. (Of course, the Old Scout is more dyspeptic than humorous, but you know what I mean.) I guess they don't think that way at the paper, not when Nick Coleman finds the appearance of a single conservative columnist to be an intolerable product of the "right wing noise machine," rather than a desperately needed different point of view.