My experience is that no comment equals a leftist paper.
You are too rigid.
A leftist publication is... The Atlantic or New York Magazine or The Daily Beast.
A rightist publication is The National Review or Townhall or Redstate.
The New York Times has merely a left bent.
The Wall Street Journal has merely a right bent.
But you still have to respect the institution. To write at the NYTimes or WSJ, you have to be one smart cookie. Class valedictorian, 4.0 GPA in English... is just the start - then you need a great story to your name, and much much else.
A well written article is a joy to read, and opens your eyes to a world you had not even suspected existed before.
Don't hate on the NY Times please. It's the national paper of record. If something is published in the NY Times, it means it almost certainly happened. What other paper can you say that about?