Except for mouse interaction (correct me if I'm wrong, GVim vets), Visual mode in Vim puts TextMate's block select to shame (docs: http://www.vim.org/htmldoc/visual.html) because it allows you to use Vim's other editing commands (replace, change, insert from beginning or end, etc.). Not to mention that you can select this block based on Vim motions. I guess this all adds up to Vim surpassing most other editors when it comes to selecting text, which is a given considering its focus on moving around code.