The Union-Tribune's often infuriating liberal columnist James Goldsborough has quit. The news broke late yesterday afternoon and there was a lot of bewilderment in the newsroom.

Goldsborough said the reason he was given after the fact is that the column, about why Jewish voters overwhelmingly cast their presidential ballots for John Kerry, was "offensive."

"The publisher said it might be offensive. To whom? That's the question The column is not offensive to Jews. Maybe to Bush," Goldsborough said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "I don't think I'm 'liberal,' but I'm certainly not pro-Bush, and I think this was payback."

You've got to realize that Goldsborough's a little out of touch if he doesn't think he's liberal.

I didn't realize until I saw the article that Goldsborough's Monday column have been pulled. I worked last Friday's shift in the editorial department and actually copy-edited and laid out Goldsborough's column. I read the column and honestly didn't see anything particularly outrageous about it. I mean, it was outrageous, but that's normal for Goldsborough.

When someone else leaks the Goldsborough column that got pulled, I'll link to it, but you won't see the column first here, sorry.

Goldsborough's departure leaves the Union-Tribune with a total of three vacancies in the editorial department.