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Bob Rubin,Miramar, FL — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:58:20 GMT

Brian, was not sure this was the way to write to you, but is the only option I could find... in tonites news about the empty flight by BA, you mentioned the 20,000 gallons of fuel used and the 400 tons of carbon...I may not do numbers as well as your staff, but 20,000 gallons is roughly less than 160,000 pounds, and 400 tons is 800,000 pounds...does not add up can jet fuel create 5+ to 1 more carbon??? thanks

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Alexsis Ridgefield CT — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:59:52 GMT

Way to go Richard for catching an interview with Musharraf. Great report also tonight on B.A. irresponsible corporate behaviour. Those Rams sure look sexy coming off the line tonight. Maybe someday I will be able to fill those dual tanks. Thank you for doing your part for raising awareness that there are many Georges out here, and here are a few notables on this day to digest with our dinners;
1775 U.S. forces captured Montreal during the American Revolution.
1789 Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter to a friend, "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."
1927 The Holland Tunnel linking New York City and New Jersey beneath the Hudson River opened to the public.
1942 The minimum draft age was lowered from 21 to 18.
1956 The Supreme Court struck down laws calling for racial segregation on public buses.
1969 Vice President Spiro T. Agnew accused network TV news departments of bias and distortion, and urged viewers to lodge complaints.
1974 Karen Silkwood, a technician and union activist at the Kerr-McGee Cimarron plutonium plant near Crescent, Okla., was killed in a car crash.
1977 The comic strip "Li'l Abner" by Al Capp appeared in newspapers for the last time.
1979 Former California Gov. Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.
1982 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C.
1997 The Disney musical "The Lion King" opened on Broadway.
2001 Afghanistan's ruling Taliban abandoned the capital Kabul without a fight, allowing U.S.-backed northern alliance fighters to take over the city.
2002 Saddam Hussein's government agreed to the return of international weapons inspectors to Iraq.
2003 Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who had refused to remove a granite Ten Commandments monument from the state courthouse, was thrown off the bench by a judicial ethics panel for having "placed himself above the law."
Safe trip home everyone.

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Matt, Philadelphia, PA — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:04:26 GMT

It's great that Brian Williams is out in the world reporting instead of stuck behind a desk in New York or LA, but if it puts him in a situation that makes it harder to report the news (outside in the rain or in a noisy factory), then it's an annoyance.

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Dot, Illinois — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:24:37 GMT

Good evening, Mr. Williams:

The story about the airplanes flying from London to the US empty of passengers amazes me. Such a waste--I wasn't very impressed with the reasons given for those flights.

I have always admired Justice O'Connor and your story this evening only enhanced that admiration. She is handling an obviously difficult time in her life with dignity and grace.

Stay safe.

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Stephanie Umbro, Maine — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:44:08 GMT

I have been to see the Vietnam Wall. I was a teenager, and even though I was impressed, I don't think it full impact fell to me until I visited the traveling replica last summer. It is a somber and poignant reminder of those we have lost.

Chrysler has a lot of work to do to get my business. I do not believe in American automobiles. My parents spent more money on my dad's obsession with Fords.... the Chevy they bought was no better. My dad helped me buy a Subaru wagon for my first car, and I've not looked back since. Ran it into the ground at 250k - when the frame rusted out underneath it. Now I'm on a Toyota kick and again, after 9 years, my car still purrs but does need routine maintenance. Once the Big Three starts making cars that LAST, I might pay attention. Watching all those trucks roll out behind you during the broadcast, Brian, was very fascinating!

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Lisa McNeil,Alpharetta,Georgia — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:47:27 GMT

Good Evening Mr.Williams, Very interesting venue this evening for the broadcast seeing all those brand new trucks roll off the line. It is amazing how fast these vehicles can be built these days. The news from Erin Burnett about the Dow was positive, but gasoline prices going up another 10cents never sounds good. Now of course to the interview Richard was able to have with Pervez Musharraf. I viewed the interview on MSNBC video and some of the answers Musharraf gave were interesting. Tonight he stated to Richard that he will not share power with Bhutto and she distorts the facts. Saying the media can be impressed with a lady especially if she speaks English and is pretty. Personally, I really don't think Bhutto is all that attractive although she does dress well and wear makeup I don't think journalists are distracted by her looks. I guess that is in the eye of the person. In the video Richard asked about the arresting of all the lawyers and should he be conscentrating more on the terrorists. Also about the tv stations being taken off the air. Musharraf answered the lawyers have a responsibility and it has only been a few days the tv stations have been pulled off the air. Richard asked about the security of the nuclear weapons and Musharraf said they are secure in the hands of the military. I just hope these weapons are secure because in the wrong hands it is deadly. Another fine report by Richard. And with all the tension in that country, PLEASE STAY SAFE RICHARD!! Regarding Sandra Day O'Connor and her husband John who is stricken with alzheimers, it was very touching that he found a friend and that facility. This lady obviously makes him happy and relaxed and she seems a positive influence for him. Very sad and touching story. Finally, the Veteran of the Korean War George Brown who visits the other veterans at the VA Hospital. What a wonderful thing to do and he can bond with them because they are all war veterans. Tending to the library and visiting those men every week that is truly great for everyone involved. Nice way to end the broadcast Mr.Williams. Thank you for the broadcast. We expect rain in the forecast tomorrow! I hope it happens! Stay safe as always Richard!! Peace to all!

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Gary Blackstock Bad Axe, Michigan — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:07:28 GMT

Stephanie needs to try an american car for a change because obviously she doesn't really know what shes talking about with the way the big three cars are made. I drove my second hand 1995 Buick (purchased from my retired GM worker in-laws) 333,000 miles with routine maintenece and only when I hit a deer on the way home from work did I finally have to replace it. No the frame didn't rust out either Stepanie, as for you to say these cars are rust buckets some have been in the past, years ago,but now they are very reliable cars. P.S. I'm also a Dodge Truck Chrysler worker from Warren Truck Assembly Plant

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Joe Williams, Detroit, Mich. — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 04:49:02 GMT

In the Detroit economic report for the Nov. 13 broadcast, it was noted that Pfizer's third largest location is in Detroit ... but that is misleading. Pfizer is in the middle of closing its operations here and is leaving the Detroit area behind. It's important to note this because it paints a more honest picture of the growing fragility of the Michigan economy. Also, Quicken Loans is moving from a Detroit suburb to the city itself. Your report failed to note that Quicken was already located in the metro area. This was an incomplete report at best.

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Norman Charles, NYC — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:55:10 GMT

After watching Brian's interview with Chrysler's #2 executive Jim Press, I wasn't sure if I had just seen a news segment or a paid commercial for Chrysler. Brian kept tossing softball questions, and Press kept hitting them out of the park. It reminded me of the fake FEMA news conference last month, where FEMA employees (masquerading as journalists) asked powder puff questions to the FEMA executives on stage. In his live comments preceding the taped interview, Brian (standing alongside an assembly line) praised the Chrysler production process and said of the trucks, "These are all going to be the fulfilled dreams of future pick-up truck owners--one new truck every minute." Did a Chrysler PR person write that? And this was Brian's final question to Jim Press: "So what does this--you look at this process behind you--body gets picked up, laid down on the chassis and this is going to make some buyer somewhere very happy." That's not even a question. It's just an underhand lob of a statement that then allowed Press to get all warm and fuzzy and talk about how Chrysler fulfills dreams (note that Brian's preface statement--which was actually made after the taped interview--contains the same "dream fulfillment" theme. It's like Jim Press wrote Brian's copy for him.). Based on his enthusiasm for the story, I would guess that Brian is a car buff, and unfortunately that caused him to lose his objectivity. He treated his interview subject with the softest of kid gloves. Where was the question about possible future layoffs? Or moving production plants out of the U.S.? Or whether retired Chrysler employees will continue to receive full health care benefits? Contrast this with the way interviews are conducted by Amy Goodman on "Democracy Now", or by the anchors on BBC World News. The BBC interviewers are professional and respectful, but they don't allow their subjects to get away with evasive or self-promoting answers. If the person being interviewed rambles off point, the BBC reporter brings them back to message. And if someone doesn't answer the question asked--hold onto your hats here--the BBC interviewer will repeat the question until it is answered. I'm sorry, Brian, but an "interview" like this has little or no news value. If you want to tour the Chrysler plant and ooh and aah over their production process, that's fine, but please do it on your own time. There are far more important things to tell us about on Nightly News.

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Elisa James, Seattle, WA — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:16:20 GMT

Nice reporting on Detroit last evening, and a decent little snippit of Chrysler...but the big story was most graciously left off the broadcast: Robert Nardelli, the failed Home Depot "guru" is now at the helm! And how many Chrysler employees are losing their jobs? Is it so Bob can get a great benefits package from Chrysler while digging their grave a little deeper. Come on now...this is a story Lisa Myers could have a hey day with....

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lnp, leonardtown, maryland, usa — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:37:25 GMT

So, I just watched the full interview between Richard Engel and President Musharraf. How did the reporters in the room keep a straight face? His explanations were ridiculous. Can you say Kim Jong-il? Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? I wonder if Musharraf's martial law will prevent the Taliban and al-Qaeda from operating in the hinterlands. Hmm.... Yeah, I doubt it. Seems to me, Musharraf should concentrate on rooting them out, not on quashing his relatively harmless political opponents. What an oaf.

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George Strohsahl, Newbury Park, CA — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:44:54 GMT

I, and several other viewers, have commented on the error made in the report on carbon generated by an airliner. On further reflection I realize I missed the point. When fuel burns, far more air (oxygen) is consumed than fuel. By products of this combustion include carbon oxide gasses (greenhouse gasses). While the numbers cited are just approximations, it is entirely possible that 20,000 gallons of jet fuel will create 400 tons of these carbon oxide gasses mixing in the atmosphere behind the jet. The point of the story was the environmental impact of BA flying empty and that point was made. 400 tons of carbon oxide gasses, not 400 tons of carbon is what the graphic should have showed.

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Christian Sweeney, Grosse Pointe Park — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:45:05 GMT

Brian-
Thanks for coming to Detroit. With all the talk about the death of American manufacturing, it's nice for everyone to be reminded of the reality. We still make a lot of stuff -- and do a pretty good job while we're at it. Manufacturing is sure to be a smaller part of our economy but we do ourselves harm when we abandon entirely something we taught the world to do.

In your piece about the legacy of the Vietnam War, you seem to place the blame for the shabby treatment of Vietnam vets on people who opposed the war. I think the tradegy, being repeated today, is that many of our "hawk" legislators are plenty willing to fight, but have historically been unwilling to buck up and fund the VA the way it needs to be. The enemies of the VA are conservative spend-thrifts not liberal Democrats. Let's hope that no matter what side of the Iraq War debate our leaders came down on that they provide the VA with the money they need to take care of our vets.

Again, thanks for coming to Detroit.

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Jackie Rawlings Riverside Califronia — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:51:30 GMT

Brian I had to take a long time to write my comment about your report. Yes Pakistan is a mess, the 1.9 Trillion dollar cost to taxpayers for the Iraq invasion and hearing thousands more homes lost to sub prime all this is on a daily bases. But I was struck with a feeling of confusion when I heard Justice O'Connor's story of her husband made the problems of today seem so small. To watch your soul mate leave but still be here is the strange part. To watch him response to someone else in the place he is now at makes me know we don't know anything about life at all. I realized that true love is letting go and in this case watching the one you love be happy. God gave us pictures to keep and a memory forever and who knows maybe Mr. O'Connor see his wife in the other person where he is at now. Mrs. O'Connor shared a truth with Americans and should us all how deep love really is and what it means.

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Greg Ross Los Altos California — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 17:21:02 GMT

Hi Mr. Williams,

Thank you for showing an American factory producing American products and people proud of what they do. Our products are good, our people are good, and our country is good. For some reason we think that things are better if they are made somewhere else.

I own a Lexus. It will be my last. The service is very expensive and defects number a lot more than any of my American cars had when they rolled off a line similiar to the one you were at last night. My Buick dealer is a lot better than the Lexus dealer too.

Your broadcast only encourages me to search and buy products from here and made by us.....Americans. I also appreciate your blog and the gentlemen who wrote in defense of the plant in Warren.....good for him.

Buy American

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Greg Ross Los Altos California — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 17:21:25 GMT