The good, the bad, and the ?

This photo of a streetlight on 96th St. in New York was taken very well. I imagine it was very difficult to get the proper exposure in light of such poor quality, but many details came out quite nicely. I thought the way the people and cars were blurred was very poetic, as if the world was just rushing by, completely oblivious of this streetlight, even when it was broken. Also, I really like how the lights (not just from the streetlights, but also from the brake lights in the cars) stand out so prolifically. Very nice contrast to the general darkness of the rest of the picture.

The role of Lee Van Cleef will be played by this photo of Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad. The huge flash of light at the top of the picture (it kinda looks like a spirit bomb...from Dragon Ball Z...anyone?...I'm a nerd?...OK, let's just get on with this) definitely shouldn't be there. Visual hierarchy is pretty much out the window, since there are so many other faces and extraneous body parts.

I do have a question about the composition in this picture. While the focus is properly centered on the proper subject (Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner), there are plenty of other faces in the picture as well, and there is a feeling of jumbled-ness. Is it OK to have this many other elements in the picture if the focus is well-executed?