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, “Running Out the Clock”

In my submission for this week I consider the president’s speech last week. Perhaps “the surge” is worth a try (interestingly, Iraqi bloggers in Iraq seem to favor it regardless of their position on Americans). But I suspect it’s merely a distraction from the real question: what next?

Joshuapundit, “Bush Speaks…and Belittles Us All”

“The surge” was also on Freedom Fighter’s mind last week and he clearly was not favorably impressed by Bush’s speech. I don’t believe that the sort of total effort, total war, total victory approach that FF seems to long for was ever politically possible.

Eternity Road, “A New Standard for Political Hideousness”

Francis Porretto considers the Duke rape scandal (one hardly knows where to put the irony quotes in that phrase—insert them yourself ad libitum). Meet the new standard, same as the old standard. Politics ain’t beanbag.

Rhymes With Right, “MLK Day—a Singular Holiday”

Greg notes that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday is the only federal holiday that hasn’t been ruthlessly commercialized and amusingly looks forward to the day when it is.

The Education Wonks, “Federally Mandated Cheerleading: Educracy Run Amok?”

This story about federal micro-management of high school athletics is certainly bizarre but I can’t help but feel that when you’re a creature of the state you’ve got to expect to be subject to the vagaries of the state.

Soccer Dad, “James Traub Has a Semite Problem”

Soccer Dad fisks a NYT article by James Traub profiling Anti-Defamation League director Abe Foxman.

American Future, “Why It Could Work”

“It” in this case is “the surge” and in his submission this week Marc explains why it might work. My problem with the whole discussion (everywhere) resides in the word “work” which appears to be defined in such a way as to preclude success.

The Colossus of Rhodey, “Is Oprah Right?”

Hube comments on Oprah Winfrey’s South African school project and why she isn’t directing her efforts (and spending her money) here.

I’m all in favor of Oprah’s project and hope it’s wildly successful and that she takes great joy and pride in it. IMO it makes the most sense to put the effort where it will do the most good so Oprah’s South African school isn’t a bad choice. As to whether it will actually do any good all I can say is “we’ll see”.

Hube’s point, of course, is that Oprah does seem to have given up hope in improving the lot of African Americans. Not given up hope in the institutions (like the schools) but in the people themselves. Is that right?

Done With Mirrors, “Chosen Icon”

Callimachus notes that one’s choice of iconic image to represent the attacks on 9/11/2001 probably reflect one’s attitudes and beliefs. Where you sit is where you stand.

The Sundries Shack, “More Obamarama”

Jimmie Bise comments on the recently-announced candidacy presumptive of Illinois Senator Barack Obama for the presidency of the United States. We could do worse.

I’ve written about this recently, too, and, frankly, I doubt that his party will nominate him and that, if nominated, he would be elected. But he has a pretty good shot at a vice-presidential bid and, maybe, running for president for real in 2012 or 2016.

Right Wing Nut House, “Iranian Nuke Program Stalled?”

Rick Moran considers the recent repot that Iran’s nuclear development program has run into some setbacks. IMO we simply don’t have enough information to make an intelligent judgement on the subject. Our human intelligence (and, presumably, everybody else’s, too) on what’s going on behind the closed doors in Iran has been awful, well, since forever. Even before the fall of the Shah.

Andrew Olmsted, “The Fairness Doctrine”

Andrew critiques the old Fairness Doctrine. I think he’s asking the wrong questions, though. IMO the question is does our present system promote the greatest amount and level of political speech or does it just deliver the entire system to the highest bidders (or, more accurately, allow the present duopoly to divide the market equitably between them)?

Well, I’ve made up my mind. Which posts would get your votes?