O'Reilley comes to Rather's defense

Bill O'Reilley says some things about Dan Rather's fall, ascribing it in a large degree to bloggers and blogging. While I agree that the smear machine is alive and well on the 'Net, and maybe the bloggers were harshly critical of Dan Rather, but what SHOULD be the outcome of this fiasco?

Dan Rather stepping down may be the most public part of the fallout, but the producers behind him, those who had more responsibility, and failed miserably at their posts, need to be removed also.

And saying that this is unfair freedom of speech is also wrong. I don't know if Rather knowingly approved what he knew to be false documents. He probably didn't. My understanding is, though, that he later personally vouched for their authenticity. When they were shown to be forgeries, his credibility became critically ill. Moreover, where is the fairness in allowing forgeries to be broadcast to the world as fact without a response? Unfair freedom of speech? Hardly. The more you read and write in this online world, I think the better you get at telling the rabid vitriolic rumor mongers from the thoughtful commentators.

Not that I think that Bill is a rabid, vitriolic rumor monger for his assertions.

I just think that in this case, he's wrong.

h/t Drudge.