Washington, D.C.: When you were a "journalist" with CBS, you and Dan Rather claimed that you were pursuing a story and had no personal axe to grind with President Bush, in response to critics that said you were merely a stereotypical liberal activist masquerading as a journalist. But it seems pretty clear from your book that you do, in fact, loath Republicans in general and conservatives in particular. Weren't the critics right?
Mary Mapes: My mother was a lifelong Republican who died while planning to vote for George W. Bush. I would give the world to have had a chance to drive her to the polls. I have chosen to live in Texas, a deep red state for the past 15 years. I have friends and family members who are coservatives. I haev voted for Republicans and Democrats. I am an American who likes talking politics and people of all political stripes. I don;t know what you're talking about or what you're so mad about.
Bwahahaha! It's the "why some of my best friends are____________" defense. Bwahahahaha!