Hi Scott ----- actually, it's not quite open season on public officials, though the standard is different than for us regular folks. For a public official to make a case of defamation, there is one element not necessary for anyone else to make such a case -- the false statement must have been made with malice. Comes from a U. S. Supreme Court case called "New York Times v. Sullivan". It is not necessary for a private person to prove malice in order to win a defamation case. ----- jim o\-S