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We're introducing a new column today that looks at national issues from the conservative viewpoint.

It's a step to achieve more balance in the syndicated columnists we use on the Editorial page.

The Press-Republican has always welcomed opinions from all across the political spectrum. We firmly believe that an important part of a newspaper's job is to encourage input from the breadth of views represented by the residents of the North Country.

We don't turn Letters to the Editor away because they are too conservative or too liberal. We reject letters only if they could be libelous or if they contain hate language.

Hate language, of course, is a matter of judgment. Over the years, some readers have urged us to ban a few letter writers. But we try to give writers as much leeway as possible to express their thoughts.

When it comes to national columnists, we felt for years that we had a decent mix.

Byron York,chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner, runs on Saturdays, writing from a conservative viewpoint.

Gene Lyons,Arkansas Times columnist and co-author of "The Hunting of the President," appears Sundays, writing on the opposite end of the political spectrum.

We use Kathleen Parker, who writes for the Washington Post, as our moderate. Although she was, at one point, paired as the conservative across from Eliot Spitzer in a CNN point-counterpoint show, her views have been embraced sometimes by the right, sometimes by the left.

We frequently use Georgie Anne Geyer, a foreign correspondent with 40 years of experience, to put international issues in perspective.

Dr. Alan Chartock, editor and publisher of the Legislative Gazette and CEO of public radio station WAMC in Albany, appears on Mondays, giving the state perspective.

But Chartock's views usually lean left, as do Cokie and Stephen Roberts, another column we have available from the syndicate service we use.

Newspapers can run only the columns they pay for, you see.Editor Lois Clermont has asked the service several times in the past six months to add another conservative to its "full service" package.

To even things up, we are introducing ultra-conservative Ann Coulter, who will move into the Saturday spot, allowing us to use York closer to when his columns are released.

Coulter is well known as a voice for the right. She is legal correspondent for Human Events andauthor of 11 New York Times best-sellers, including "Adios, America, Never Trust a Liberal Over Three" and "Demonic: How the Liberal is Endangering America."

She has been a guest on many TV shows, including "The Today Show," "Good Morning America" and "The O'Reilly Factor."

Her viewpoints are sure to stir up conversation, challenge ideas and expand perspectives.

And that is what a good editorial page is all about.

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Editorial: Ann Coulter joins columnist lineup - Plattsburgh Press Republican