Ghetto Blasters  —  In angry retaliation for the house arrest of Bernie Madoff, Israel has launched a hellacious air assault against Hamas in Gaza that errs so far on the side of disproportionality that its running up the fatality score may become self-defeating.  Johann Hari in The Independent:

Bristol Palin Welcomes a Son  —  Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin  —  Bristol Palin, the 18-year-old daughter of former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, gave birth on Sunday to a healthy 7 lb., 4 oz., baby boy in Palmer, Alaska.  —  “We think it's wonderful,” …

From the left, a call to end the current Dutch notion of tolerance  —  AMSTERDAM: Two years ago, the Dutch could quietly congratulate themselves on having brought what seemed to be a fair measure of consensus and reason to the meanest intersection in their national political life …

Reading Into Bush's Book List  —  In what without a doubt is the most astounding op-ed piece of the year, Karl Rove reveals that his friend and former boss, George W. Bush, has read probably hundreds of books over the course of his presidency.  One of them was Albert Camus' “The Stranger,” …

Farewell to All That: An Oral History of the Bush White House  —  The threat of 9/11 ignored.  The threat of Iraq hyped and manipulated.  Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib.  Hurricane Katrina.  The shredding of civil liberties.  The rise of Iran.  Global warming.  Economic disaster.

A SOLUTION WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM  —  RealClearPolitics has posted a column proposing a solution to “Minnesota's recount fiasco” by AEI director of economic studies Kevin Hassett.  Hassett observes the inconsistent rulings on disputed ballots made by the Board of Canvassers.

Fallout begins after dismal holiday season  —  ‘The downturn has been catastrophic,’ according to one retail analyst  —  Fallout from the dismal holiday sales season promises to have a lasting impact on how the retail industry operates.  —  Retailers slash prices

Add Up the Damage  —  Does anyone know where George W. Bush is?  —  You don't hear much from him anymore.  The last image most of us remember is of the president ducking a pair of size 10s that were hurled at him in Baghdad.  —  We're still at war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Top 10 Rightblogger Stories of 2008  —  Excited (not to say deranged) by the long Presidential campaign, conservative bloggers — rightbloggers, in our affectionate parlance — were in top form this year, and outstripped the sleepy Main Stream Media in every way.

‘Death to All Juice’  —  A classic picture of numb-skulled hatred from the pro-Palestinian demonstration in Manhattan yesterday.  (Larger image here.)  —  (Hat tips: NoSubmission and zombie.)  —  237  —  Cicero05 ::  4 seconds ago