2005 in Review: Those who mattered

WASHINGTON – Sticking with the quasi-reflective, quasi-nostalgic theme of so much late December media coverage, what follows is an account of the 10 most influential people of 2005. In the tradition of Time Magazine's Person of the Year and similar lists, this collection is surely not limited to those who have wielded positive influence – merely those who have made the most noteworthy of impressions on the American way this year.

10. Trent Lott – With an absurd yet politically costly scuffle with the NAACP now firmly in the past, Trent Lott quietly re-emerged as one of the most influential men in Washington this year. When President Bush took the oath of office for a second time, it was Mr. Lott who ran the inauguration. His face was a constant presence on news programs throughout the year. And then, when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, Mr. Lott let the media join him and Mr. Bush as his visited the tragic remains of what was once his family home. As Ray Nagin and Kathleen Blanco made fools of themselves, Mr. Lott often appeared to be the only local politician with any grasp on reality. Indeed, it was a year in which he proved his strong leadership – both in good times and bad – and that has helped him subtly re-endear himself to a public that has long since forgotten an old man's birthday party.

9. Howard Stern – This may well have been the sandwich year for Howard Stern. In 2004 he announced his departure from AM and FM radio as a means of escaping the long arm of the FCC and extending a middle finger to Michael Powell. In 2006, he will live up to his word, taking reign of the satellite airwaves and bringing an untold number of loyal listeners with him. But Mr. Stern's influence has been unmistakable this year – with every Sirius radio ad, every protest-latent comment on his program and his gradual disappearance from many American AM and FM markets, his declaration of war on the notion of government-driven censorship has been amplified to the nth degree. The King of All Media is moving into a new palace and the citizens of his nation have been given notice.

8. Cindy Sheehan – The neo-isolationist pacifists parading about America's radical left with a general mentality that makes Jacques Chirac look like Pericles finally found their poster mother. She hates George Bush, despises Israel, loathes the American military and sure loves hearing the sound of her own crude voice. And yet, despicable as she may be, Cindy Sheehan sure proved influential this year. A quiet summer begging for interesting domestic news produced a grieving mother at the steps of Mr. Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch. Michael Moore embraced her. And the mainstream media fell in love with her sound bytes. But, alas, most of that obsession has now faded – the public has realized what a lunatic Ms. Sheehan truly is – and so 2005 will be known as the one, and only, year in which be bore influence.

7. Ben Bernanke – George Bush made what was surely one of the most difficult choices of his presidency in tapping a successor to Alan Greenspan and, upon news of the announcement, the stock market went up. And it has more or less stayed up. Ben Bernanke has been hailed as an economic genius, gambled the direction of his life for a shot at the federal reserve and is now in line to wield an extraordinary amount of control over not just America's but, indeed, the world's financial markets. Mr. Greenspan's shoes are surely rather large and filling them looks to be no easy task, but if one is to judge by the absolute praise for Mr. Bernanke from both sides of the political aisle coupled with the notable lack of respectable criticism, it would seem that he has risen from relative obscurity with good cause and rightfully claimed his post as one of the most influential people of 2005.

6. John McCain – If there was ever a genuinely Capraescent politician, it is starting to look like John McCain is the man. In 2005 he took the pages of newsprint with a Democratic co-author, publicly battled his party's leader on the question of torture until the White House gave in, led a pact to avoid a “nuclear” showdown over the Senate's handling of judicial nominees and started enough bizarre speculation that some in the Beltway have him nailed as a major contender for the presidency. Mr. McCain has gathered his credentials over time – perhaps none greater than the tragedy of a prolonged stay in the Hanoi Hilton – but they all seem to have come together this year, as his public approval skyrockets. It is because of Mr. McCain, more so than anyone else, that Janet Rogers Brown got confirmed, that detainees are treated with a certain modicum of dignity and that the United States Senate hasn't descended into a complete battlefield ala the days the Charles Sumner.

5. Moqtada al-Sadr – In a recent article, Reuters deemed Moqtada al-Sadr a “kingmaker” in the new Iraq. Barely a year after a massive manhunt was dispatched in search of the radical cleric, he has become a veritable political force in the world's youngest democracy. Mr. al-Sadr is the perfect amalgamation of a terrorist and a politician, someone deserving of the world's scorn on so many accounts yet in possession of so much power that his will can hardly be ignored. As the insurgency began to fade and lawlessness quickly became taboo, Mr. al-Sadr schooled himself in the art of politics and is thought to be behind much of the nation's forthcoming election results. His followers likely number is the six figures and, at their hands, thuggish slayings have been committed and ballots cast. The radical cleric may be amongst the very scum of the earth, but it is difficult to argue that he wasn't one of the most influential individuals in a year when America kept its eyes on Iraq more than anywhere else.

4. George Bush – Despite a brilliant PR effort in mid-December that helped turn some image problems around, it was a terrible year for George Bush. Social Security found its way on to the back burner, one of the president's top aides was nearly indicted, one of his fellow Texas Republicans was indicted, the causality count from Iraq piled up as a bitter women stood at the gates of his Crawford, Texas ranch, his policy on torture was questioned to the point that he was forced to fold, the Commander in Chief came under fire for wiretapping Americans without court orders and when a major American city was hit hard by mother nature it took the president a touch too long to arrive one the scene. But each of these stories was the veritable work of Mr. Bush – whether he intended such or not – and each is, ergo, a testament to the sheer influence of the presidency. It is difficult to imagine a year when the president wouldn't be amongst the most influential people and 2005 was no exception. Let's just hope that such influence is wielded in a more productive fashion come 2006.

3. Judith Miller – It was a scene eerily reminiscent of the Chinese way of doing business: an uncooperative journalist was forced out of the newsroom and into a federal prison. Rumors claimed that there were no beds at first, so she slept on the floor. Down the hall was a man suspected of being the so-called 20th hijacker from 9/11. Months went by. And finally, through a strange set of circumstances, she walked out of prison and into a federal grand jury room where she was compelled to testify. The ultimate cost of her testimony? The Vice President of the United States' Chief of Staff was indicted shortly thereafter. Yeah, it was quite a year for Judith Miller and that isn't even counting the assault on her honesty that followed shortly thereafter. She went from the journalistic dog house over some stories on WMDs to heroic status for protecting a confidential source back into the dog house for proving dishonest all along. But regardless of the context before or after, the reality is that Ms. Miller was jailed for being a good journalist and with each passing day, the American government's disgrace and shame grew greater.

2. Michael Brown – At this time last year, New Orleans was a major American city thriving on tourism and a rich, unique Cajun culture. Today, it is essentially gone. The waters may have receded but the destruction is unmistakable – historic landmarks are now at peace with Poseidon, Fat Tuesday is going to be a touch slimmer and the hotels are empty. The people of New Orleans have scattered about America, refugees each one of them, and some may never return. What went so wrong other than the Hurricane itself? What transformed this from an ordinary hurricane to a lesson in how The Lord of the Flies may mimic reality? More than anything else, it was local and federal government officials' incompetence. The Superdome just sat there, as humanity deconstructed in its realms. Ditto the Convention Center. Elsewhere, people died on rooftops and in hospitals, not because of the initial flood itself but, rather, because they weren't saved in time. More than anyone else, Michael Brown, then-head of FEMA, bears the responsibility for this. It was his utter incompetence and disgusting nonchalance that led to the catastrophe after the storm. No mortal may be held accountable for the hurricane or the floods, but he sure can be asked to burden the toll of the as-yet-uncounted number of people who died because of his sheer disregard and utter lack of competence. And this barbaric scenario of people literally dying as a result of Mr. Brown's actions (or lack thereof) is the very model of influence gone awry. He may be despicable, but in 2005, he sure did matter.

1. John Roberts – Just how good is John Roberts? He was promoted to Chief Justice of the United States before he was even confirmed as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court! Okay, maybe that's a bit unfair – there were a lot of mitigating circumstances, including a man's death. But the truth is that Mr. Roberts emerged from obscurity in 2005 and took control of the nation's highest court. When interviewed, interrogated and researched, he was so fondly received and viewed with a certain level of pure brilliance that most Senate Democrats couldn't even find decent grounds to quarrel with his nomination. Mr. Roberts proved he was well-spoken, intellectually monstrous and even charismatic. He won over the president, the people of the United States, the Senate and, judging by some fleeting comments, his new colleagues on the court. And now, barring impeachment, he will helm the Supreme Court for the rest of his natural life or until he elects to retire, shaping American law in countless ways. He's already at work, interrogating attorneys from behind the bench, casting his vote in decisions and penning opinions. And as the new Chief Justice of the United States, Mr. Roberts is the most influential man of 2005.