memeorandum: Blackwell defends Saltsman (Ben Smith/Ben Smith's Blogs)

10:45 AM ET, December 28, 2008

Top Items:

‘Hamas could have prevented massacre’ — Hamas could have prevented the “massacre” in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday in Cairo. — “We spoke to them and told them ‘Please, we ask you not to end the cease-fire. Let it continue,’” …

Discussion: Hot Air, Ynetnews and Israel Matzav

Ynetnews:

Iran orders Muslims to defend Palestinians — Supreme leader issues religious decree in support of Palestinians; parliamentarian likens Israel's actions in Gaza to those of Hitler — Dudi Cohen — Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a religious decree to Muslims around the world on Sunday …

Discussion: Jihad Watch

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

Marty Peretz and the American political consensus on Israel — Opinions about the Israeli-Palestinian dispute are so entrenched that any single outbreak of violence is automatically evaluated through a pre-existing lens, shaped by one's typically immovable beliefs about which side bears …

Discussion: Associated Press, Mondoweiss and J Street

Greg Mitchell / The Huffington Post:

Attack on Gaza: As Usual, U.S. Media (And Most Liberals) Silent — As Israeli Newspaper Raises Doubts — In the usual process, the U.S. government, media here — and most liberal bloggers — are silent or playing down questions about whether Israel overreacted in its massive air strikes on Gaza …

Discussion: Mondoweiss

BBC:

Hamas ‘bars injured leaving Gaza’ — Egypt says the Hamas militant group, which controls Gaza, is preventing hundreds of wounded Palestinians from leaving for treatment in Egypt. — Cairo says dozens of empty ambulances are at the Rafah crossing - the only one to Gaza which avoids Israel.

Discussion: Harry's Place and Jihad Watch

BBC:

Israeli jets target Gaza tunnels — Israel hit new targets overnight, as troops stayed on alert by the border — Israeli jets have launched a second day of air attacks on the Gaza Strip, amid warnings that operations will continue until Hamas ends rocket fire from Gaza.

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, Agence France Presse, Global Voices Online, The Huffington Post, Jihad Watch, Israpundit, Atlas Shrugs and TalkLeft

Peter Beaumont / Guardian:
Peter Beaumont on what the latest attacks mean for the citizens of Gaza

Discussion: Mondoweiss, Associated Press and Soccer Dad

David Horovitz / Jerusalem Post:
Analysis: The policy of restraint is over

Discussion: A Blog For All, Yourish.com, Israpundit, Israel Matzav, Ynetnews and Reuters

Barak Ravid / Haaretz:
Israel to mount emergency international PR effort in wake of Gaza campaign

Discussion: Mondoweiss, Telegraph, Associated Press and Ynetnews

Barak Ravid / Haaretz:
Disinformation, secrecy, deception: How the Gaza offensive came about

Discussion: Power Line, I*Consult, Jerusalem Post, International Herald Tribune, Associated Press, The Huffington Post, New York Times, Aljazeera, Jules Crittenden, Stop The ACLU, Firedoglake, Mondoweiss, Ynetnews, english.ramattan.net, kuna.net.kw, Macsmind, TPMCafe and Israel Matzav

Bradley Burston / Haaretz:
Bradley Burston / The worst anti-Israel charges you'll hear in wartime

Discussion: Sean Rayment's blog listings, Harry's Place, Preemptive Karma and Pajamas Media

BBC:
Eyewitness: Chaos in Gaza

Discussion: Bloomberg, Times of London, Pajamas Media, CBS News, Xinhua News Agency, Buck Naked Politics, Firedoglake and Atlas Shrugs

Frank Rich / New York Times:

You're Likable Enough, Gay People — IN his first press conference after his re-election in 2004, President Bush memorably declared, “I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it.” We all know how that turned out. — Barack Obama has little in common …

Discussion: ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Prairie Weather and TalkLeft

Michael D. Shear / Washington Post:

RNC Rivals Discuss Racial Song — Would-Be Chairman Who Sent CD With Parody Blames Media — Republicans who are vying to lead the national party offered a mix of reactions yesterday to the decision by one candidate for the job to mail out a music CD including the song “Barack the Magic Negro.”

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, TPM Election Central, bastard.logic, CNN and Comments from Left Field

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:

Blackwell defends Saltsman — Ken Blackwell, the former Ohio secretary of state who appears to be leading in the race to become the next chairman of the Republican National Committee, is defending a rival who distributed a CD containing a song called “Barack the Magic Negro,” …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Political Machine, Commentary, New York Times, La Figa, Raleigh News & Observer, Associated Press, AMERICAblog News and RedState

Christopher Booker / Telegraph:

2008 was the year manmade global warming was disproved — Looking back over my columns of the past 12 months, one of their major themes was neatly encapsulated by two recent items from The Daily Telegraph. — The first, on May 21, headed “Climate change threat to Alpine ski resorts” …

Discussion: EU Referendum, Wake up America, Don Surber, Ed Driscoll.com and NewsBusters.org

Steve Connor / The Independent:

Scientific illiteracy all the rage among the glitterati — When it comes to science, Barack Obama is no better than many of us. Today he joins the list of shame of those in public life who made scientifically unsupportable statements in 2008. — Closer to home, Nigella Lawson …

Andie Coller / The Politico:

After Bush, will MoveOn live up to its name? — After more than a decade spent railing against the Republican machine, MoveOn wants to move on —even if it means leaving some of its high-minded ideals behind. — Last week, the group's members chose their top four priorities for the organization …

Discussion: Open Left and Patterico's Pontifications