Dan Rather, as a crank caller who managed to get on the air live by claiming he had shuttle debris in his back yard said, is an idiot. I understand why NASA would not make an official statement that the crew is lost until they have looked at everything. But CBS news seems intent on making sure to emphasize that there is no proof yet that the crew has been killed. He's talked about an "escape hatch", as if anything could exit a craft going 12,000 mph and survive. As if there were any way to reenter the atmosphere other than in a spacecraft designed for it. As if anything that would destroy the shuttle would politely give the crew enough warning to do anything when they are strapped in and under very high gee forces.

Where are the journalists with enough courage to speak the truth without weasel words to qualify and hedge every statement?

UPDATE: "There is no hope for either the shuttle or its crew of seven." No, Dan didn't say this. He merely quoted a NASA official.

I used the Ultimate Flash Face to create thispicture of me. I think it's pretty close to the real thing.

link via Zander