Eye on the Watcher’s Council

As you may know the members of the Watcher’s Council each nominate one of his or her own posts and one non-Council post for consideration by the whole Council. The complete list of this week’s Council nominations is here.

The Glittering Eye, “One Day Has Passed”

In my submission this weekI make a plea for gathering all of the facts surrounding the massacre at Virginia Tech before mounting hobby horses and charging off.

Done With Mirrors, “Earth Day”

Callimachus celebrates Earth Day with a solid post on the forces that change climate.

The Colossus of Rhodey, “Quota Baseball”

Okay, I give up. Why is it odd that the San Diego baseball team doesn’t have more Hispanics? I’m as baffled as Hube is. I’d also like to point out that the Boston Red Sox is the closest American baseball team to Ireland, Detroit is the closest U. S. team to Canada, and San Francisco the closest to Japan. The Red Sox doesn’t have an extraordinary number of Irishmen nor Detroit Canadians nor San Francisco Japanese ball players. I might also point out that there is no such thing as a real home team anymore—just baseball businesses that happen to be headquartered in particular towns. That will probably become even truer when the Trib sells the Cubs.

Cheat Seeking Missiles, “Kevin Granata: Virginia Tech Hero”

Laer posts on the story of another Virginia Tech faculty member who died attempting to protect students. Greater love hath no man…

Soccer Dad, “Cohen Must’ve Got Lost”

Soccer Dad posts on a Richard Cohen article on the rationale for the boycott of Israel by Arab countries. Oh yes, I’m sure it’s because the U. S. gives Israel uncritical support (I do think that the U. S. should be a scoche more critical in its relationship with Israel) and because Jewish organizations attempt to stifle criticism of Israel.

Eternity Road, “Helots”

Francis Porretto reflects on citizenship, arms, and serfdom. I don’t agree that the Europeans have become helots. That would only be true if we exacted a price and limited their rights. I think that Americans have become patsies.

Bookworm Room, “Presidential Power and Criminal Terrorists”

Bookworm posts on the historical fact that presidents tend to expand their powers during times of crisis and the treatment of unlawful combatants. I might add that this expansion of powers is not limited to external crises: consider FDR’s actions during the Depression of the 1930’s, Nixon’s approach to stemming inflation, and the presidential handling of many, many other domestic problems.

Big Lizards, “Into Every Life Some Reid Must Fall”

Dafydd ab Hugh was not amused by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Reid’s comment that the war in Iraq was lost. All I can add is that Mao, when asked if the French Revolution had been a good thing, responded “It’s too early to tell”.

The Education Wonks, “Merit Based Success: James Calderwood”

EdWonk salutes James Calderwood, the young man who recently completed his objective of being awarded every Boy Scout Merit Badge. He got in just under the wire (the regulations required that he complete the project before his 18th birthday).

Joshuapundit, “On Winners and Losers—Harry Reid and Defeatism”

Freedom Fighter wasn’t amused by Harry Reid’s comments, either. I’m not as outraged by the comments as some, perhaps because I think that, indeed, we have “lost” (in the sense that it’s very unlikely we’ll be able to achieve our objectives there) but that we need to re-focus on how we keep the enemy we face there from winning.

Rhymes With Right, “The Problem With Political Speech Limitation”

Greg considers the First Amendment implications of limitations on political spending. My own view is that we should re-direct our attempts at reform in the role of money in the political process from spending to selling i.e. from the customers to the vendors.

Right Wing Nut House, “Reid and the Dems: Cowardly Immoral Jellyfish”

My friend Rick Moran puts his finger solidly on the problem with the Democratic congressional leadership’s position: if you believe that the war in Iraq is really lost, how can you justify keeping American troops there for a month let alone six months or a year? My own answer is that won or lost it would be deeply immoral for the U. S., having brought down Saddam Hussein’s regime and taken the lid off of the sectarian, ethnic, tribal and criminal conflicts simmering beneath the surface, it would be deeply immoral for the U. S. to abandon the Iraqi people and that the only way we’ll continue to maintain any influence on events in Iraq whatever is by maintaining a substantial troop presence there. BTW my side bet with Freedom Fighter still stands.

Well, I’ve decided which posts I’ll vote for. Which posts would get your votes?