The Crossover Dribble

In his memo to the LA Times' staff about the Andres Martinez/Brian Grazer fiasco, editor James O'Shea writes:

The suggestion that I make decisions simply to curry favor with the staff is also simply untrue. We face hard times. If I have to make decisions that are unpopular with the staff but in the best long-term interest of this newspaper, I will not hesitate to do make them. That is what leadership is about. I've said that openly from the day that I walked into this newsroom.

Am I the only one who finds it awesome that -- given all that Tribune management have put the staff of the LA Times through, and how disparagingly I have heard LA Times staffers openly discuss the Tribune Company -- the paper's new, Tribune-installed editor has managed to turn this into an argument about whether he curries favor with his staff? I am sure that all those employees will greet O'Shea's revelation that he is willing to make unpopular decisions with great relief.