"Mr. Murdoch has said publicly that he wants to make The Journal more of a general-interest newspaper, to compete more directly with The New York Times, though he insists he will not diminish its coverage of business."

Sounds like a dumb idea. The WSJ has a highly successful niche, and he wants to dilute it with general news people can get damn near anywhere else. Probably trying to make it more of an advertising vehicle.

The WSJ will become the print version of FOX NEWS. Pure neocon spin.

Umm, forgive a newbeie's astonishment, but what exactly is the "mid" part of you being "midleft"? If I ever run into anyone here who is "farleft", I'm gonna be right scared!

All you have to do is read the opinions page and letters to the editor about how far right this paper has already become...

I was good with what you said, until you said, ". . .long list. . .". (Maybe phrasing?), although I agree with the exploitation. I heard about a poker parlor in Ca. that is Jewish-owned. The owner gives millions of dollars to Israel, where it is used to fund illegal settlement activity. I consider this funding to be no different than the funding that Muslim organizations have been accused of as aid for terrorist orgs. Those settlements are internationally recognized as being illegal (of course, since when did that matter?).

It wasn't unforeseen or unexpected. Rupert's got a gem of a Business daily and it will go down in flames because the reporters who work there won't do celebrity crappy news to sell papers. I foresee that Murdoch will eventually lose money as the Journal deteriorates and subscription declines in the short run, but what happens in the long run is anybody's guess.