Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld yesterday recalled that "as a
young member of Congress back in the 1960s, still in my 30s, I
was a co-sponsor of the Freedom of Information Act."

"Now we all recognize that that Act causes government officials
occasional pain," Rumsfeld said in a speech to the Newspaper
Association of America and the American Society of Newspaper
Editors, "but in my view, it has been a valuable Act in helping
to get the facts to the American people."

"Our great political system needs information to be
self-correcting. While excesses and imbalances will inevitably
exist for a time, fortunately they tend not to last."

"Ultimately truth prevails," Secretary Rumsfeld said.

let's hope so, Don.

Déjà Vu: Consistency can be a good thing, unless one is consistency bad. Such is the situation for the NY Mets, which again aren't hitting, again have key playerinjureded, again are wasting efforts by starters, again are getting sloppy in the field, and again struggling even against the dregs (e.g. splitting, barely, a four game series vs. the Expos) of the league. They lulled fans with a good first couple weeks, but it was only a bait and switch. The time is now to say -- put up or admit "my entire team sucks" should bembroidereded on the back of their uniforms. If a 2-5 record vs. the Pirates (first road series win, sweep in fact, since last summer) and Expos (perhaps the worst team in baseball at the moment) doesn't do it, what will?

Today, Seo must have felt like it was old times again - he had a good game, after a lousy first start, going six and giving up three runs (two on an two out home run in the first). The Mets scored one run (solo homer) in this span, the height of shame being when they loaded the bases with no outs (on a walk off Maddux no less), and Piazza (the count 2-1) grounded to the pitcher. Double play, no runs in inning. Root canal is not as painful as this sort of thing. Fans do not expect miracles. They expect at least one run in this situation though. They expect a team that looks like they can beat the local softball pick up squad. In fact, they as fans have the right to demand it. And be angry when it is not provided. To expect more from people paid millions to actually know how to play the f-ing game!

Other Issues: John Dean continues fighting the good fight with an article addressing one of the lesser known ways President Bush's penchant for secrecy harms our society, this time addressing his efforts against access to government archives. I share Virginia Postrel (even if she along with Andrew Sullivan was one of the few who thought the President did a good job at that press conference) that stuff like this is governmental paternalism run riot. Nor is it unique to her state -- the city of NY has tons of these piddling regulations, resulting is such things as tickets to pregnant women who rest on stairs. Such pettiness is what eats away at our basic right to be left alone like barnacles on the bottom of a boat.