Watcher's Council Winners
I was negligent in noting the Watcher's Council winners from last week.
First place in the council went to Spinning Their Way to Defeat in November by Right Wing Nut House, which looked at the range of anti-war reactions to the death of al-Zarqawi. Those reactions certainlyincluded a few curious contradictions (this is me here, not RWNH, though I expect he'd agree), including:
1. Zarqawi was an unimportant non-threat to anyone until Bush invaded Iraq, and
2. Bush had the chance to kill him in 2002 and let it pass.
Which sounds awfully pre-emptive to me.
Second place was a tie between Outer Darkness by Gates of Vienna (a lesson in, among other things, why it's better to be the blogger than the commenter), and Hix Nix Chix, which came from right down the road here.
Also getting votes were two posts built around the Gaza beach tragedy and resulting media coverage, Skepticism and "News" by ShrinkWrapped and The Gaza Beach Killings: The Latest Production from PallyWood by Joshuapundit. I actually had half a post written on that, but then something in my head reminded me it was risky to jump on that story at the point of the first pushback. After several recantations and denials and second thoughts, a coherent story began to emerge, but it took about a week. Which was about when Reader_I_Am did the first examination of it here.
Also getting votes was Speculating on the Impact of Zarqawi’s Death by The Glittering Eye, whose observations on Iraq always have the intelligent neutrality of one of the rare few blog pundits who hasn't got some degree of ego mixed up in either the success or failure of the enterprise.
First place outside the council went to a good piece called One Liberal’s Argument for Still Staying in Iraq by A Newer World. This is one of the war opponents who really does deserve the good name of "liberal." The gist of it is best summed up in a comment in the follow-up thread, by the author of the piece (at least I think so):
Also getting votes were Malloch Brown's Message to America by The Belmont Club, Top Ten (Themed!) 'Progressive' Reactions to the End of Fitzmas by Decision '08, Zarqawis Peers React to His Passing by Varifrank, and "RULES? IN A KNIFE FIGHT?": Redrafting the Rules of Engagement in the First Terrorist War by American Digest
First place in the council went to Spinning Their Way to Defeat in November by Right Wing Nut House, which looked at the range of anti-war reactions to the death of al-Zarqawi. Those reactions certainlyincluded a few curious contradictions (this is me here, not RWNH, though I expect he'd agree), including:
1. Zarqawi was an unimportant non-threat to anyone until Bush invaded Iraq, and
2. Bush had the chance to kill him in 2002 and let it pass.
Which sounds awfully pre-emptive to me.
Second place was a tie between Outer Darkness by Gates of Vienna (a lesson in, among other things, why it's better to be the blogger than the commenter), and Hix Nix Chix, which came from right down the road here.
Also getting votes were two posts built around the Gaza beach tragedy and resulting media coverage, Skepticism and "News" by ShrinkWrapped and The Gaza Beach Killings: The Latest Production from PallyWood by Joshuapundit. I actually had half a post written on that, but then something in my head reminded me it was risky to jump on that story at the point of the first pushback. After several recantations and denials and second thoughts, a coherent story began to emerge, but it took about a week. Which was about when Reader_I_Am did the first examination of it here.
Also getting votes was Speculating on the Impact of Zarqawi’s Death by The Glittering Eye, whose observations on Iraq always have the intelligent neutrality of one of the rare few blog pundits who hasn't got some degree of ego mixed up in either the success or failure of the enterprise.
First place outside the council went to a good piece called One Liberal’s Argument for Still Staying in Iraq by A Newer World. This is one of the war opponents who really does deserve the good name of "liberal." The gist of it is best summed up in a comment in the follow-up thread, by the author of the piece (at least I think so):
I agree wholeheartedly that the disaster in Iraq is Bush Co.’s fault and not mine or yours. But, I guess, my point is that whether we like it or not, the American people have to take responsibility–not blame, but responsibility–for the decisions of the leaders it elects. As I see it, this is one of the burdens of self-government.
Also getting votes were Malloch Brown's Message to America by The Belmont Club, Top Ten (Themed!) 'Progressive' Reactions to the End of Fitzmas by Decision '08, Zarqawis Peers React to His Passing by Varifrank, and "RULES? IN A KNIFE FIGHT?": Redrafting the Rules of Engagement in the First Terrorist War by American Digest
