*The American people, by a wide majority, repudiated the Republican Party in the last national election. The Bush-Cheney administration posted among the lowest favorability ratings in its closing year. And now Dick Cheney is omnipresent defending its failed policies, including its connection to torture. All of which begs the question, why do we care about what he has to say now? Cheney had his eight years on stage. Enjoy your retirement.

*Our editorial board doesn't keep score on these things, but best as I can tell, every time one of the Freeman's editorials is critical of Congressman Hinchey, his PR guy issues a critical letter to the editor over his name. The letters typically express his disagreement with the editorials and say, in effect, he's not surprised with the newspaper's faulty thinking ... consider the source. That would be the same source that does say good things about Hinchey from time to time, particularly at the end of his re-election campaigns, when the editorial board routinely supports him. Same newspaper, same editorial board, but apparently not the same faulty thinking. And no critical letters about those editorials, of course. Funny how that happens. (Yes, a new critical letter has arrived and will be published shortly.)

*You think Cheney is overexposed on TV? He can't hold a candle to former Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is everywhere. You don't suppose he's already running for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, do you?