Signs and portents

There are signs. Maybe they mean something, maybe they don’t.

• Dover Pennsylvania voters threw out the school board who tried to push Intelligent Design into the science curriculum.

• The House of Representatives dumped the ANWR drilling proposal from the Budget bill.

• Former FEMA Chief Michael Brown is finally off the payroll

• A plan to allow oil and gas drilling closer to Florida's Gulf Coast has been blocked for this year as U.S. House leaders decided to drop the measure.

• A budding House-Senate deal on the expiring USA Patriot Act includes new limits on federal law enforcement powers and rejects the Bush administration's request to grant the FBI authority to get administrative subpoenas for wiretaps and other covert devices without a judge's approval.  Judges would get the authority to reject national security letters giving the government secret access to people's phone and e-mail records, financial data and favorite Internet sites. (wonder what the rhetoric about judicial activism is about?)

Even a small step forward after such a leap to the rear is welcome news.