Long-time fans of either William F. Buckley or Gore Vidal are well aware of their distaste for one another. Each has spilled substantial bile on the other in print. It seems that Buckley has gotten the best of Vidal, however, not just once but twice. According to this notice, it appears that Esquire has settled a libel suit over the publication of a Vidal essay for the second time — once when the article was first published in 1969 and again when it was republished in an anthology in 2003. The notice will appear in upcoming issues of both Esquire and National Review. Of note, Vidal also attempted to sue Buckley for libel in the late 1960s, and that suit was thrown out.
Speaking of libel cases, the Washington Post has an interesting story about another case in the courts now. Here the plaintiff is seeking to use a reporter’s comments on various television shows, such as Fox News’ “O’Reilly Factor,” as proof of malicious intent.
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