A New Home For The Council & This Weeks Nominations - Its Bash Biden Week

Each week, the members of the Watcher's Council nominate one of their own posts and a second from outside the Council for consideration by other council members in a contest for best post. The Watcher publishes the results each Friday morning. Terry Trippany has now officially taken over the duties as Watcher. His new site, Watcher of Weasels, is up and running.

This week's nominations are:
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Council Nominations:

1. The Glittering Eye - The 2008 Beijing Olympics
A good post from GE pondering the hypocrisy and illusion of China's Olympics. He wonders whether we will hear more of the reality of China from the journalists who were there once they pass outside the Great Wall.

2. Soccer Dad - Charm city charm offensive
SD explains how Democratic Jewish leaders in Baltimore are campaigning for Obama by use of rhetorical devices, labeling their opponents and their arguments as racist or illegitimate. I am amazed that there is a single Jewish person who supports Obama, to be frank. An Obama administration portends to be very bad for the U.S. but worse for Israel.

3. Bookworm Room - The AP shows surprising honesty when it comes to Joe Biden
The first of this weeks several Biden posts. BWR provides another of her erudite postings, this time examining some of the less than laudatory treatment of Obama's VP pick, Joe Biden, in the heretofore syncophantic press.

4. The Razor - Russia - The New Cold War
TR wades into the mess that is the intersection of Russia, Georgia, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Kosovo, the EU, the US, NATO, etc. It is a very thoughtful and nuanced post that, I think, reaches the right conclusions on a sound analysis.

5. Joshua Pundit - Biden Off More Than He Can Chew
The second of this weeks Biden offerings. JP ruminates on the many why Biden was a poor choice by Obama for his VP slot.

6. Wolf Howling - What Does Joe Biden Offer To Obama?
The third of this weeks Biden posts. Mine is a bit more lengthy as I point out that substance showing Biden is a doctranaire progressive who occupies the same far left ideological terrain as Obama and that Biden's judgement is equally suspect.

7. Colossus of Rhodey - NBC’s Andrea Mitchell Thinks Joe Biden is ‘Not Part of Washington’
Number four on the Biden hit parade is from COR. He notes among other things that the MSM syncophants are touting Biden as in touch with the common man and a Washington outsider because he rides Amtrak everyday. Besides being a ludicrous position, I also addressed this in my post, pointing out that Biden has directed tens of billions of taxpayer dollars to subsidize Amtrak and keep it afloat.

8. Rhymes With Right - Not Every POW Supports McCain
RWR picks apart the arguments against John McCain made by one of his fellow POW's who has since become a left wing activist.

9. Cheat-Seeking Missiles - North Coast - Day 5: Bookworm Revealed!
Without regard for her attempt to keep her identity secret, Laer does his best impression of a NYT reporter who has just come into possession of some of our national secrets. He publishes it. This is a well done post.

Non-Council

1. Paragraph Farmer - Remaking Grease in Denver
A superbly written piece comparing the Democratic experience to the musical Grease - "They got chills; they're multiplyin,' and they're losing control."

2. Pajamas Media/Belmont Club - Unity
The Obama team wants unity. They would prefer it be willing but are quite willing to enforce it if necessary.

3. Kirby Mountain - Puttin’ the Boone (Pickens) in Boondoggle
There are definite problems with wind power, but the one thing I am unsure of is whether there is sufficient and regular wind down the "wind corridor" of America to make turbines along that section of our country a viable option. Beyond that, I agree with most of the comments in this article.

4. Seraphic Secret - The Terrorist is Still Dead
Robert has one of the most interesting sites around. He gives a beautiful description of celebrating a religious custom in Israel and discusses how the people living in Israel stay armed to defeat the terrorists who regulalry try to do murder and mayhem inside Israel.

5. Telegraph UK - Gavin Menzies: mad as a snake - or a visionary?
Historian Gavin Menzies has caused uproars in the world of history with his theories that China discovered America and influenced the Italian Renaissance.

6. Michael Totten/Middle East Journal - The Truth About Russia In Georgia
An excellent article from Mr. Totten with a lot of additional information on the recent crisis I have not seen elsewhere.

7. Powerline Blog - Energy Policy For The Ignorant
"As we've often said, the Democrats prey on ignorance. Often they know better and are being cynical; sometimes it's because they are ignorant themselves. A shocking example of the latter case was revealed yesterday when Nancy Pelosi appeared on Meet the Press. Mrs. Pelosi declared herself a major advocate of natural gas as an energy source, but then revealed that she is ignorant of the fact that natural gas is a fossil fuel."

8. Media Backspin - Gadi Evron on Cyber Warfare
A fascinating post on cyber-warfare and defense.

9. Boston.com Olympics Blog - You’re Not Supposed to See This
This article from the Globe lifts up China's skirts and takes a look at what the government was trying to hide. On a side note, having lived in a rural town in Korea for five years during the 80's, what they show looks very similar to small town Korea. It is an existence low on material wealth, but it was not a bad existence in any way.