474 A Car for Dan Rather

The USAToday (4b) has an article on fake, vintage automobiles. The 1972 Oldsmobile 442 is one of the more common fakes. It was (is) a beautiful car. We could have purchased a red convertible 442 in 1985 from a neighbor. I think he wanted $5,000, but I don't remember exactly. It was within the realm of possibility. But I said no--after all, we had a 16 year old son.

"It takes someone with a lot of knowledge to catch a phony," says Dan Mershon of Springfield, OH. He was fooled and sold one--but gave the buyer his money back five years later when the forgery was discovered.

Imagine that. A used car salesman more honest than a TV journalist!

I was a bit puzzled Tuesday when watching coverage of Bush's speech before the National Guard members. I saw coverage on CNN, Fox, ABC, and read the story Wednesday in the Columbus Dispatch, and USAToday. All the news media pointed out that Bush didn't mention the controversy surrounding his time in the Guard. CNN made it the high point of its story, not the speech itself--and replayed it numerous times.

Should he have cast aspersions on Dan Rather's forged documents? Should he have asked why he has called Kerry's service honorable, but Kerry has maligned all the Guard by disparaging Bush's service? Should he have pointed out how all Guard service during Vietnam has been impuned by the Democrats since Dan Quayle was the Vice President?

50,000 Guard and Reservists are on active duty. Every time the Democrats cast doubt on one, they probably send two more to the voting booth for Bush.