Out of the archives

News is slow so I'm clearing out my warehouse of very old links. Good way to put today's politics in context. It was only three years ago we were fighting against the elaborate secrecy claimed by Dick Cheney, and enabled by Bush, over Vice Presidential White House records.

The [Bush] White House pressured the EPA to weaken requirements that companies annually disclose releases of toxic chemicals.

Wexler was calling for impeachment hearings on Cheney.

Bobby Kennedy Jr. was pondering irrational Hillary hatred.

A Muslim man jumped to the aid of three Jewish subway riders after they were attacked by a group of young people who objected to one of the Jews saying "Happy Hanukkah."

Federal sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine were revised to bring them into line with penalties for powder cocaine.

And no link because it rotted, but the GOP presidential hopefuls held a debate in Iowa. The punderati talked more about the moderator and the style of the debate, which was to give each candidate the same question. I loved it; most everyone else hated it. Fred Thompson was still on the radar and Huckabee was the rising star in the field.

And no one ever talked about Sarah Palin. Sometimes I think I'm too pessimistic, but looking at this it's hard not to think things really have changed -- for the worse.