This morning Dan Rather appeared on MSNBC to add some perspective to the latest news cycle.  As The Washington Post was reporting on sickening threats and hatred being expressed at Sarah Palin's rallies, Rather told Joe and Mika that he thought she had a real political career in front of her.  If she can't turn the McCain campaign around, he said, watch for her in 2012.  She has proven ability to really connect with people, Rather opined, oblivious to the evidence that her connections were mired in race-baiting and xenophobia.

But old Dan Rather, he wasn't through with the election yet.  When the talk turned to the sleaziness in yesterday's campaign events, Rather scolded both sides for talking about people from decades ago rather than confronting the fiscal crisis.  Wall Street is plunging, and the candidates are bickering about people they used to know.  The Obama camp, Rather added, may very well say McCain started it, but just as two kids in a school yard, both should be in trouble.

Of course, Dan forgot to point out that the Keating 5 is quite relevant to the current fiscal crisis.  And he forgot to point out that while Obama gave a lengthy speech on the economy yesterday, places like MSNBC focused their attention on the Keating 5 comments.  And finally, in the midst of his scold, old Dan forgot to mention that four years ago he was chasing a story about Bush and several weeks of undocumented military leave during the Vietnam War rather than sifting through Iraq and the quixotic search for WMDs.

Katie Couric never looked so good, and she's been looking awfully good lately.