Rather Late

Rightwing bloggers are eagerly anticipating this legal proceeding--including yours truly.

Dan Rather, whose career at CBS News ground to an inglorious end 15 months ago over his role in an unsubstantiated report questioning President Bush’s Vietnam-era National Guard service, filed a lawsuit this afternoon against the network, its corporate parent and three of his former superiors.

Mr. Rather, 75, asserts that the network violated his contract by giving him insufficient airtime on “60 Minutes” after forcing him to step down as anchor of the “CBS Evening News” in March 2005. He also contends that the network committed fraud by commissioning a “biased” and incomplete investigation of the flawed Guard broadcast and, in the process, “seriously damaged his reputation.”

Rather is seeking $70 million in damages and names the CBS/Viacom top executives and the former president of CBS News as the respondents.

In light of CBS News anchor Katie Couric's sky-high salary, of the payout--and rehiring--of Don Imus and of CBS's abyssmal ratings , I have only one question: is CBS even good for $70 million?