[scripter]

What is he saying that seems obvious to you?

His last sentence is a summary of his letter:

So, much as I should like to oblige you by jumping to the defence of gradualism, and fleshing out the transitions between the major types of animals and plants, I find myself a bit short of the intellectual justification necessary for the job.

Kitcher's response is quite telling.

Take it. ;-)

[general_re]

His letter, in one sentence, boils down to "Genetics tells me that gradualism is correct, but I can't honestly say that the fossil record reflects it yet" - and from that we derive that Patterson denies evolution altogether? Really?