I got that too. My point was that the piece was not particularly vile for a political foe of Mr. Said. If written by a friend - well, that would be a different story.
PS. You certainly do not believe that the Times is balanced and nonpartisan, do you? One of the most annoying features of most of the US media is their pretence to "balance" and "non-partisanship" - or "mainstreamism" if you will. The European media are much more open about their partisan points of view and affiliations. Openly revealing one's point of view does not contradict good journalistic practices. Au contraire - it is more honest and conducive to objective information than false pretences to nonpartisanship.
Wojtek