I am thankful that someone--Joan Walsh-- has finally had the integrity to call the faux scandal that clouded Dan Rather's career a FAUX SCANDAL. He was railroaded. Every word he said on GWB's National Guard "experience" was true--regardless of the documents shown--whether facsimiles or original. The contents were true. Every independent investigation bears this out. It is sickening that the Rove-Cheney-Bush machine was allowed to get away with this and so much more that they did to intimidate the press into circumventing and burying the truth. It upsets me to this day, and I can only imagine how much it likely upset Walter Cronkite.

I was so glad to hear that someone else noticed Chuck Todd's behavior when he was pestering Robert Gibbs to the point of exasperation. I don't know how Gibbs kept his cool. Todd was acting like a brat. I was shocked at his conduct as he's one I had always thought to be the picture of civility and common sense. And then on the other occasion he asked the dumb dumb question on whether Obama would veto a stimulus package if it had no (bi-partisan)Republican votes. Todd whom I'd always liked so much, apparently just isn't the person I thought he was, and he's caused me to doubt my own perceptions. I hope someone will bring this matter to his attention and that he'll realize there's a difference between being a sensibly aggressive questioner and a pest. He has so much potential.

Mr. Madden is so careless when he says Bush is now doing a vanishing act. To the contrary, he is as destructive as ever in actions he's taking. The so-called "agreement" with the "Iraqi government" designed to keep our troops there three more years (perpetuating their presence) is one glaring example. The others relate to the many environmental and safety issues he is daily dismantling and voiding. Once again Bush is out-foxing the media and the American people while the media and the public hear only where the Obama girls are going to school and the Bush's Christmasy Hanukkah card and Obama's latest cabinet appointments.

The WSJ wipes its dirty memory clean, forgetting how it day in and day out persecuted Pres. Clinton for fibbing about a b--w j-b which was none of my business, but says nothing about the current White House occupant who blows his job by blowing up troops and innocent civilians. I can never forget the smarmy snide smirk perpetually found on John Fund's face. WSJ's new piety sickens me as does the smarmy snide smirk worn by the object of WSJ's adulation, the disastrous current occupant of the White House.

Patty O'Shaughnessey

Atlanta, Georgia

Ms. Walsh, please tell Mr. Blumenthal I hope he will return to SALON eventually and that I will miss him so much. I loved reading his columns and always looked forward to reading him.

--Peggy

Avondale Estates, GA

Joe Lieberman's primary loyalty is to Israel. He's a Zionist. He'd be satisfied if we bombed into oblivion the rest of the Middle East. So, he's elated with this war on Iraq and anywhere else it is taken; and he NEVER wants us to leave. Sadaam Hussein was incidental. After seeing the way Israel has treated Palestinians and how Joe Lieberman has been devoted to this war which has killed almost 3,700 of our troops and maimed many thousands more troops and killed and maimed hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis--all for George W. Bush, the PNAC Neo-Cons and Israel, I have lost all sympathy and empathy for Israel. Lieberman is so transparent, and it is such a disappointment that he has sold his integrity down the drain.