Andrew Rosenthal, the editorial page editor of the New York Times, has just started a new blog called "The Loyal Opposition." He explains:
What's with the title? Although I often find myself in opposition with what is going on in Washington, I'm not out to destroy government or to drag down individuals. My intention is to engage in and encourage debate and dissent, which are vital to democracy. So, please, no name-calling. As Woody Allen put it in "Stardust Memories" (not on my Netflix queue): "To you I'm an atheist. To God, I'm the loyal opposition." By the way, before the Twitter attacks start, I'm not an atheist "” I just like the joke.
It's interesting that Rosenthal 1) felt compelled to announce he wasn't an atheist and 2) assumed that the presumption he was an atheist would trigger attacks on him.
