We're not sure if he pulled out some fresh Ratherisms during campaign coverage on HDNet last night, but today it's all legalese for Dan Rather. A hearing in Rather's case against his former employer got underway at 4pmET in New York. CBS is submitting its response to Rather's request to "compel document production" from the independent panel investigation into Rather's 60 Minutes II report on Pres. Bush's military record.

CBS claims Rather, know for election night one-liners including "This race is shakier than cafeteria Jell-O" and "His lead is as thin as turnip soup," is attempting "to distort the Independent Panel's work into part of a conspiracy against Rather." Rather's lawyers contend, "CBS induced Mr. Rather to apologize personally on national television, to abandon his own further investigation and to stay silent about his belief in the truth of the story."

We'll let you know what happens in court.

• Click here to read the CBS brief.

• Click here to read the brief Rather's attorneys are presenting.

By the way, the headline to this story is a real Ratherism from election night 2000: "The presidential race still hotter than a Laredo parking lot."

>Update: From our court watcher: Justice Gammerman heard arguments on the motion, stated that he would review the lengthy submissions, but made no decisions today.