Now let me get this straight: Mr. Douthat wanted sick old Dick Cheney to run for president in 2008 so he could lose by a landslide and remake the Republican Party as a more palatable (to him) conservative entity? As opposed to the "mavaricky" McCain (a closet liberal)?

What has Ross been drinking? Or is he trying to define himself as a "good" conservative as opposed to the wacky Dick? And hoping his brand of "sensible" conservatism wins out over that of Cheney and Company?

Cheney could not have handled the physical requirements of a campaign which even McCain was barely able to. And I doubt the GOP would ever have nominated him as they were trying to distance themselves from the Bushies.

As for saying that the Democrats would be out of their minds to investigate torture in the Bush Administration, I would only say that I think this is out of their hands. I believe that it will be investigated whether anyone of any party likes it or not; too much has come out already.

I think Ross Douthat is in the unenviable position of trying to make lemonade from the lemons that he has inherited, but I don't think this is a very auspicious beginning for his tenure at the Times.

— Edward Gold, New York, NY

Apparently, my comment on Ross was too negative for the Times as it is nowhere to be found. No matter, I've put it here.

It really is too bad that the "Gray Lady" feels it necessary to cover up its poor judgment in its choice of columnists.