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A letter in today's paper (click here, then scroll to the bottom) takes us to task for running an editorial cartoon one day criticizing Hillary for flip-flopping on Iraq after running a cartoon the week before criticizing President Bush for not being responsive to public sentiment on the war.

"I was always taught that 'what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander,' meaning that we must be consistent in our beliefs. Apparently, The Times does not hold to this tenet," wrote Pete Hamilton.

I've got two responses to that: First, cartoons are signed work, and like all signed work on our pages represent the individual opinion of the person signing them, not the institutional viewpoint of The Roanoke Times. We probably need to do a better job educating readers about that distinction, but there should be no expectation that cartoons by different authors will express consistent viewpoints.

Second, there is a difference between flip-flopping based on polls - which is what Clinton was accused of in the Jim Morin cartoon - and recognizing that there has been a fundamental shift in national opinion and that the vast majority of the nation no longer supports a failed course of action, which is what the Daryl Cagle cartoon dinged the president for his failure to do.

We printed this letter today, which raises some interesting questions about the role of the publisher. Those questions deserve to be answered. Here's the letter. The answers will follow the jump:

A publisher's view can influence coverage

Debbie Meade, the incoming publisher of The Roanoke Times, is also chair-elect of Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge. Thank you for telling us (Oct. 19 news article, "Newspaper will get new hand at the helm").

PAUL ROBERTSON
BLACKSBURG

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