Forgive the vaudevillian baseball metaphor in the title--I just couldn't help myself. As you know, I have not been doing much 'typical' blogging (as in commenting on and linking to other folks' writings) for quite some time--again, in this instance, I just couldn't resist the urge.
Why now? Intrepid, dogged journalism fills my sail; from time to time, The New York Times' Joseph Kahn does exactly that--he has cultivated some incredible sources. The latest example is his piece in today's edition of the Times, China's Leader, Ex-Rival at Side, Solidifies Power.
I will entice you with the first three graphs, and suggest you click on through.
BEIJING, Sept. 24 - Three years after becoming China's top leader, Hu Jintao has solidified his grip on power and intimidated critics inside and outside the Communist Party with the help of the man once seen as his most potent rival.
Mr. Hu, China's president and Communist Party chief, and Zeng Qinghong, vice president and the man in charge of the party's organizational affairs, have tackled the most delicate domestic and foreign policy issues as a team, governing as hard-liners with a deft political touch, former Chinese officials and scholars with leadership connections said.
Their bond is a surprise because Mr. Zeng was the longtime right-hand man of the previous No. 1 leader, Jiang Zemin. A skillful backroom political operator considered to have strong military ties, Mr. Zeng was long viewed as the only person capable of challenging Mr. Hu for power.
