"This 'wonderful man' ratted on his friends in front of the House of UnAmerican Activities Committee in order to save his career."

I rarely disagree with you on most things, Frank, but this is the stock, rubber-stamp rant against Burl Ives. I suggest that you scroll up to

Subject: RE: Life of Burl Ives
From:GUEST,Mountainbanjo - PM
Date: 09 May 11 - 07:32 PM

And read what Mountainbanjo has posted, which, he informs us, was taken from the transcript of Burl Ives' testimony.

That's hardly "ratting on his friends." He didn't tell the committee anything they didn't already know. And when asked if the people in question were Communists, he responded, "You know who my friends are. Ask them."

Sounds fair enough to me.

Don Firth