BORKING BLAME

CHARLOTTE ALLEN'S September 29 article, "Justice For All," mischaracterizes the role of the American Bar Association in the U.S. Senate's failure to confirm the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Robert H. Bork. But as John Adams reminds us, "facts are stubborn things."

Allen perpetuates an oft-repeated but erroneous myth that the split vote of the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary produced an unfavorable rating of Judge Bork. This is not true. In fact, the Standing Committee gave him its highest rating of "well qualified" to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. This vote by a substantial majority of the committee was the official vote communicated to the United States Senate.

The failure to confirm Judge Bork occurred in the Senate, not in the ABA-another important fact not to be dismissed or misrepresented.

H. THOMAS WELLS JR.
President, American Bar Association Birmingham, Ala.

CHARLOTTE ALLEN RESPONDS: I did not say that the American Bar Association failed to rate Robert Bork as "well qualified," but merely called attention to the split vote on that issue, in which four members of the evaluation committee deemed the distinguished federal appellate judge and former Yale law professor merely "qualified" and a fifth member voted the equivalent of "present." Legal journalists observed at the time that the ABA's highly unusual non-unanimous vote helped sink Bork's confirmation by the Senate.

GONE FISHING

THANK YOU FOR Matt Labash's "The Passion of Dick Cheney" (September 22). I admire Vice President Dick Cheney and what I consider to be his deliberate and adept approach to politics and governance. It seems like these traits apply to his fishing style as well. As a former Jackson Hole dude ranch wrangler and now only a sporadic fly-fisherman living in Atlanta, I found the article compelling as it revealed the personality of an otherwise private figure. Unlike in Washington, D.C., one does not need to remain vigilant for snakes when angling, as the altitude in Jackson Hole is too great to support that species. Though maybe the aside about the bear alluded to different dangers in uncharted areas.

MIKE JABLON
Atlanta, Ga.

MATT LABASH confirms why I have always really liked Cheney. He is just the sort of guy I would want as a vice president if I were the president. He is loyal, smart, experienced, and above all, professionally selfless. One of my good friends says that you really learn about someone when you fish with him, and if you could not spend a day fishing with him in one boat you should never hire him. I would hire Dick Cheney in a heartbeat.

MARK MENDENHALL
North Platte, Neb.

BECAUSE I HAVE ALWAYS admired Dick Cheney, I found Matt Labash's article to be a fascinating look at the man who is vilified by many people. I agree with Cheney's friend Jack Dennis. It's too bad more people don't get the opportunity to fish with Cheney. They would have a whole different perspective on the man.

CONNIE PATTERSON
Saratoga, Wyo.

I AM VERY JEALOUS of Matt Labash. As an avid fly-fisherman and a strong supporter of Vice President Cheney, I've dreamed of fishing with him. When I lived on the mainland, I would drive to Montana and Idaho every year to fish the Madison River and the South Fork of the Boise River. With Cheney straining the water in the front of the boat, Labash was lucky to catch two fish!

WALT HARVEY
Honolulu, Hawaii

UNDERACHIEVERS

LIAM JULIAN'S REVIEW of Real Education ("Murray's Truths," September 22) fails to appreciate the fundamental basis for Charles Murray's criticism of public schools in this country. It is educators' reluctance to accept the underlying intellectual ability of the students they are educating.

Even if the performance of the 50 percent of students who will always be below average can somehow be improved, the shift will be neither significant nor permanent. The natural variation in intellectual ability has an enormous effect on what even the best teachers and schools can do.

WALT GARDNER
Los Angeles, Calif.

PALIN'S FEMININE SIDE

NOEMIE EMERY'S "The Palin Effect" (September 29) is spot on. I believe the left also dislikes Governor Palin because she is a strong, prominent woman who has not sold out her feminine side. She is pleasant, cares about her appearance, wears skirts, loves her husband and kids, and values a strong marriage.

BEVERLY LYALL
Fountain Valley, Calif.