Pup -
The problem is that Vaughan is the best of a bad lot of alternatives. If we have a lot of very talented batsmen coming through the ranks, then most of the guys who have been in the closed shop of England's top order would have gone by the board a long time ago. The fact is that the Ashes is a series that we want to win, and don't care at all about developing people for the future - we have to pick the side, regardless of age or prospects, which has the best chance of winning that series.
You're just advocating Bell because you know he's a pushover mentally and you'd love to see him coming out at first wicket down. If I supported any of England's opponents, I'd be paying the selectors to carry on picking him. I can't tell you how much I want Bell to be dropped, and have wanted him to be dropped for about the last 9 months. I was distraught when he scored that 199, because it's his annual "well, that shows he's got potential" innings.
On the keeper, personally I think James Foster should have been in the side in India. He's a stunningly good keeper (better than Read in my opinion, since Read has issues with knowing where his first slip is), and more than competent with the bat. But since they've chosen to ignore him, they've got to stick with Prior for a year now.
As I've said in a different thread, if Sidey bowls like he did in the 12 months after his recall, he should be a guaranteed pick ahead of Anderson. But an out-of-form or short-of-fitness Sidey is not something we speak about.