Dear Post-Dispatch readers,

Starting today, Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson replaces George Will on Thursdays and Sundays.

Mr. Gerson, who grew up in St. Louis and still has family here, is a former speechwriter and top aide to President George W. Bush. (To answer the classic St. Louis question: Westminster Christian Academy).

Mr. Gerson had served as a speechwriter for Republican presidential candidates Jack Kemp and Bob Dole, and is a former senior editor at the U.S. News & World Report.

We believe that Mr. Gerson’s commitment to “compassionate conservatism” and his roots in St. Louis will better connect with our readers, regardless of their political bent.

The change has been under consideration for several months, but a column published June 5, in which Mr. Will suggested that sexual assault victims on college campuses enjoy a privileged status, made the decision easier. The column was offensive and inaccurate; we apologize for publishing it.

We have heard from both conservative and liberal readers asking for new conservative voices. We believe Mr. Gerson’s addition to our op-ed page will be a refreshing and revitalizing change.

In coming weeks, we plan to bring more diverse voices to this page, and to connect our print readers with some of the other vibrant conversations taking place in the digital universe.

If you have any comments about the change, please email me at tmessenger@post-dispatch.com or call at 314-340-8382.

Tony Messenger

Editorial Page Editor