Nagourney looks westward

Adam Nagourney, chief political correspondent for the New York Times, has indicated he's going to step out of the position and move to Los Angeles, possibly to become the Times' LA bureau chief. Jennifer Steinhauer, who currently holds that position, is expected to head back to Washington to cover Congress, Politico reports.

The Politico article mentions White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny and political correspondent Jim Rutenberg as possibly Nagourney replacements. I'd throw White House reporters Peter Baker into the mix as well. Of course, much depends on how the Times decides to structure the beat.

Another possibility is Matt Bai, who writes chiefly for the paper's Sunday magazine. Bai is one of the smartest political analysts out there.

One lingering question is whether this transfer means the New York Times plans to challenge the Los Angeles Times more directly on its turf?