Tough Picks

The Washington Times is holding its annual Noble and Knave of the Year Contest.

Every Saturday their Editorial/Opinions section features a Noble and Knave of the Week.

The deadline for the contest is January 1st.

I'm having trouble narrowing down the list. Some of my picks include...

For Noble of the year, select three:

• Dr. Ward Casscells, now Col. Casscells, who, at 53, put aside a highly successful medicine career to join the Army Reserves.

• Laurie-Ann Fuca, for choosing to follow her son into the Army by enlisting herself at 41.

• The Alaskan villagers, for refusing Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez's offer of cheap oil.

• Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, the Navy SEAL who in September threw himself on a grenade in Iraq to save his fellow SEALs.

• Ambassador John Bolton, who leaves the United Nations better than he found it, but not as good as he could have made it -- if given the chance.

For Knave of the year, select three:

• Vermont Judge Edward Cashman, for sentencing a confessed child rapist to just 60 days in prison.

• New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, for saying that Hurricane Katrina was an act of God in response to the United States being "in Iraq under false pretenses."

• Yale University, for admitting a former member of the Taliban, but not the U.S. military.

• The American Civil Liberties Union, which attempted to prohibit its own members from criticizing the free-speech organization.

• The Stars, Stripes and Skates fund-raising organization, for writing a children's book which tried to make September 11 a "happy" event for kids.

• Jimmy Carter, for this, that and about everything else he's done, written or said recently.

• John Edwards, whose crusade against Wal-Mart apparently doesn't keep him from shopping there.

• Senator-elect Jim Webb, for ditching veterans at a post-election event in Virginia Beach.

Votes can be e-mailed to nobleknave@gmail.com with "Nobles Contest" in the subject line.