The Los Angeles Times has decided to dump it's ultraliberal columnist and its conservative cartoonist. (Or, as the mainstream media would characterize them, it's liberal columnist and ultraconservative cartoonist.)

I've always been in favor of intellectual diversity on newspaper opinion pages -- and that includes left-wing conspiracy theory wackos like Robert Scheer. For those still interested in Scheer's bile, they can check out his Web site slated to launch at month's end.

As for Ramirez, his cartoons will still be carried by Copley News Service in various papers across the U.S. But I must confess I find it disappointing that one of the nation's largest newspapers doesn't find it necessary to have a political cartoonist on staff.

If the Los Angeles Times thinks it's circulation woes stem from Scheer and Ramirez, they're really out of touch. I mean, I know they're out of touch, but this move is a solution in search of a problem.