A judge has issued a ruling on CBS’s motion to dismiss Dan Rather’s $70 million lawsuit. In short, some aspects (and defendants) of the suit were thrown out, but the suit will proceed.

Sounds like, in essence, not a lot has changed — but that hasn’t stopped both sides from proclaiming victory:

“We are extremely happy with the results,” said James Quinn, the lawyer for the CBS defendants. “[The justice] has essentially thrown out the core allegations of the complaint with regard to the fraud. He dismissed all the claims against the individual defendants: Les Moonves, Sumner Redstone and Andrew Heyward. What’s left in the case is a garden-variety contract dispute.”

Dan Rather’s side (surprise!) has a different take:

Justice Gammerman issued a decision today which leaves in place the entire essence of Mr. Rather’s lawsuit against CBS and Viacom, including both contract and tort claims. Although not every legal theory of the case survives, as a result of the decision, the Court has permitted discovery and a trial of all of the factual issues that form the basis of Mr. Rather’s lawsuit, including his $70 million claim for compensatory and punitive damages. The defendants’ statement that all that is left is a “garden variety contract dispute” is simply inaccurate.

Tim Rutten is at the peak of his form today, castigating Dan Rather for being a buck passing whiner. Okay, Rutten put it more eloquently, but that’s the gist. LAT.

Mary McNamara critiques Rather’s performance on Larry King. It’s sad when King is the coherent one, isn’t it? McNamara has really hit her stride as a TV critic–maybe she had to let it out after years of writing suck-up celebrity interviews. LAT.

AFTRA is going after TMZ TV. Seems the tabloidy show didn’t want to pay union money, which explains the utter nobodies hired to host. TabloidBaby.

James Woods says Nicole Brown Simpson wanted to get cozy with him. Even if this is true, shut up! Do her kids need to know this? Page Six.

Katha Pollitt and Deborah Solomon have a hen-fest, during which Pollitt displays her ignorance about the rise of neighborhood nail salons. Don’t forget–when learning to drive, she admitted to not knowing anyone Asian. NYT.

Yom Kippur fun: Jewmongous

Mary Mapes is pretty eloquent in her defense of Dan Rather, considering (a) he threw her under the bus and (b) she put him in an untenable position.

Bionic Woman promotion gone wrong?

Why do these rooms fill us with such envy?

Just how bizarre does food need to be if Jonathan Gold calls it weird?

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! Maureen McCormick reveals her lesbo-love trysts with Eve Plumb, her TV sister.