NPR anchor Steve Inskeep’s Wall Street Journal op-ed last week defending NPR against charges of liberal bias has thus far drawn numerous Letters to the Editor and even more Web comments (919 by last count).

Representative sample:

• William Ledsham wrote:

Sorry, but when the NH NPR has a half hour show by some twit pumping his global warming book, it is not unbiased reporting. If I see another example of that, we pull our contributions. I would also like not to be taxed to pay for this. Its taxation with misrepresentation.

• • Harvey Sorenson replied:

  

  However, the author might be right about one thing. Conservatives generally are sufficiently open-minded that they will listen to opinions that rub them the wrong way. Among the people I know, the conservatives are much more open-minded than the liberals.

  • • Sara Stevenson replied:

    

    Hey, I’m a liberal, and I subscribe to and read the Wall Street Journal daily.

  • • Krishnan Chittur replied:

    

    That is a good point … It is indeed today’s Liberals that are hostile to dissent and dissenting opinion – Anyone that has the temerity to challenge Al Gore is insane and ought to be thrown in jail and branded as denier (their mantra) …

  • • Krishnan Chittur replied:

    

    Re: Stevenson – You may think you are – but since you are here, reading the WSJ – you are not – you have wandered off the reservation – Wait till your friends find out, they will drop you like a hot potato!

  • • Steve Ropa replied:

    

    While based on my experience discussing things with liberals I tend to agree, I wouldn’t want to paint with such a broad brush. It is true that in many cases I run into an assumption that since I am conservative I must not be very bright or well informed (went to a major east coast university on a full academic scholarship, so I *think* i’m smarter than the average bear) or merely closed minded.
    That said, Sara points out that she is liberal and subscribes. I’m sure there is quite a large demographic of liberals who read the WSJ for its in depth business news, just as many of us conservatives listen to NPR for its news and other entertainments. So if we apply Mr. Inskeep’s logic, this means the government should be funding the Wall Street Journal?

  • • John Smyth replied:

    

    Sara, maybe you are the most liberal person in your circle of friends. The liberals I know would laugh at you… in their world real liberals don’t read the WSJ… only dilettante liberals do.

  • • Frank Castle replied:

    

    Sara: news-flash — Commies read WSJ and other financial pubs. They used sovereign debt. Look up how much was lent to the old USSR.

  • • THOMAS LARROWE replied:

    

    Harvey, I am glad to hear that you are open minded, but myself being moderate, i would have to disagree that conservatives are “much more” open minded! To be honest, depending on how “hard-core” the person is on either side they can be VERY stubborn. But in general I would have to say that liberals are SLIGHTLY more open minded. Look at the issues.

  • • emory kendrick replied:

    

    Liberals, with Sara being the exception, tend to be open minded about issues as long as you are in agreement with them. Any dissent is labelled as racist, bigoted, or “tea-bagger”. They can’t help it.

Equally true of WSJ commenters: They can’t help it.