Any New York Times reader who imagines that the bias that pervades that paper’s editorial page doesn’t also mar its news coverage should read (on NRO’s home page) Andy McCarthy’s devastating critique of its Monday article on the judicial record of AG nominee Michael Mukasey.

As for NYT’s recent absurd characterization of Acting AG Peter Keisler as a “hard-line movement conservative” who will “keep the department politicized”—a characterization, as I documented here, that is sharply at odds with the saner views of liberals who actually know (and have worked with or against) Keisler—the paper published on Sunday this letter to the editor from John R. Phillips, the dean of the bar of attorneys for plaintiffs pursuing False Claims Act cases:

Your characterization of Acting Attorney General Peter D. Keisler as a “hard-line movement conservative” and your prediction that his appointment means that the Justice Department will continue to be politicized are off base.

I have found Mr. Keisler to be smart, thoughtful and effective — perhaps the best assistant attorney general of the department’s civil division in 20 years. Under his management, the government recovered billions of dollars from companies that have defrauded the government.

Even though I am a liberal Democrat who opposes the Bush administration’s policies, Mr. Keisler has always been receptive to the many whistle-blower cases my law firm has brought involving government fraud.

Whatever his politics are, Mr. Keisler has never showed them in the administration of the duties of his office.