Helen Thomas, the grand dame of the White House press corps, takes time out this week to plead for the traitor John Walker Lindh's life.

Perhaps in mulling over Walker's life, he (President Bush) will try to remember when he was a 20-year-old. True, he did not defiantly challenge the system as so many young protesters did in the Vietnam War era. Politics was not his bag at Yale when others were marching in support of civil rights and against the war.

Well, I guess I'm fortunate that 20 years old for me was only nine years ago. I remember what it was like. Walker's age is no excuse for what he did. Thomas also puts in an unfair dig at President Bush. Thomas, not so subtlely, implies that Bush was against the civil rights movement and for the war in Vietnam. Unfortunately, from everything I've read, much of the anti-war protests during the 1960s turned into anti-soldier process. Men who returned from Vietnam were spit on and called baby killers. I'm sure that if Bush had joined them (as former President Clinton did), that he might have been able to recall a time when he hated his country like Walker does. I'm glad we've got a president now who didn't buy into the hate-America rhetoric that was so common then.

During an interview with CNN, Walker did not help himself with American public opinion when he replied "definitely" when asked if he were fighting for the right cause.

He "didn't help himself" is an understatement. While many people are saying that proving treason may be difficult with Walker, I've got a feeling that if we dragged him into a courtroom he'd admit to it. There are only two ways someone can be convicted for treason, testimony by two witnesses to the same overt act or an admission in open court. I've got a feeling that if we give Walker some rope, he'll hang himself.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.