To the editor:

Democratic presidential contender John Edwards has decided to skip a debate to be hosted by The Fox News Channel and the Nevada Democratic Party scheduled for Aug. 14 in Reno, Nev.

Sen. Harry Reid, the Democratic Party majority leader, initially praised the collaboration with Fox News as an opportunity to reach out to a different group of voters. Mr. Reid now has concerns about the debate and has ordered his people to take another look at the Fox-hosted debate.

Why?

Moveon.org Civic Action has collected 260,000 signatures on a petition that calls the cable news network a “mouthpiece for the Republican Party, not a legitimate news channel.”

Two words immediately come to mind: hypocritical weasels.

Tom Shewmon, Linwood