On Jan. 5, President-elect Obama nominated Dawn Johnsen as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). Johnsen has written articles advocating for restrained executive power and increased government transparency, in particular at OLC. The office issued several secret and controversial opinions during the Bush administration.

This year's historic presidential campaign introduced the country to a plethora of vocational symbols. It not only featured Joe the Plumber, but also Tito the Bricklayer, Rose the Teacher, and more. There were also a few Joes and Janes who had prominent roles in the restriction — and in a few cases, the expansion — of public information that may have gone unnoticed during the year. Hopefully for the last time in the life of our Republic, the government transparency events of 2008 are presented below according to vocational nomenclature.

The natural gas drilling industry refuses to disclose what potentially harmful chemicals are used in thousands of hydraulic fracturing gas wells across the country, despite evidence that the chemicals are poisoning drinking water supplies. As concerns mount, several states are considering action to curb use of the process despite the federal government's efforts to encourage it with large subsidies and environmental exemptions.