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Brandeis' wise words

Surely every American welcomes President Obama's commitment to transparency and accountability. One of the first memoranda he signed after taking the oath of office (and, ahem, re-taking the oath of office) directed his administration to go beyond the letter of the law in complying with the Freedom of Information Act, and to honor the spirit of the law. Quite a change from the past eight years.

But what drew special attention to this memorandum was Mr. Obama's citation of a towering figure from Louisville. In his opening paragraph, Mr. Obama wrote: "A democracy requires accountability, and accountability requires transparency. As Justice Louis Brandeis wrote, 'Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.' "

Justice Brandeis, born in Louisville in 1856 and raised here before making his way to the U.S. Supreme Court, was wise in his assessment of sunshine. Obama was keen to highlight it.

Let the sunshine -- and the cleaning up -- begin.

Praise for (few) pardons

Before the screen door comes to a complete close on the tail end of former President George W. Bush's time in the White House, let's salute him for being stingy with the last-minute pardons.

If you recall, former President Bill Clinton's exit from D.C. was polluted by the stink associated with some of the 140 pardons or commutations he made on his last day in office, particularly that of fugitive financier Marc Rich.

In contrast, Mr. Bush issued a miserly 200 pardons and commutations in his eight years of office -- according to The Wall Street Journal, the fewest of any two-term president in modern times. And in his final days, he defied skeptics by only commuting the prison sentences of two Border Patrol guards in prison for shooting a Mexican drug smuggler.

The only grousing we could find came from now-former Vice President Dick Cheney, who was exercised that "Scooter" Libby wasn't pardoned. If Mr. Cheney's upset, then Mr. Bush must have done something right.

Left at the gate

"Yes we can" was the mantra of the Obama campaign. But for tens of thousands of revelers in Washington, Tuesday's inauguration was a day of "No we can't."

In some parts of the capital, chaos reigned. Some visitors waited four or five hours in sub-freezing temperatures at inadequately staffed security checkpoints. Thousands of people with coveted tickets to the "purple" viewing area were left waiting in a tunnel below the National Mall, with little law-enforcement presence and no official explanations. In the evening, some young people with $75 tickets to the Youth Inaugural Ball were kept out for hours because of limited space inside.

Many of the frustrated visitors were campaign workers who had paid their own way. Others were drawn, at their own expense, to witness the inauguration of the nation's first black president.

No one thinks an event that attracts up to 2 million people will go without a hitch, but this was ridiculous.

Editor's comment: Yes, indeed, is my response to all your comments here. As for Justice Brandeis, he was a GIANT "Luminary" of GREAT proportions.

(H/T to C-J)