Top Items:
Vanity Fair:
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:
Discussion:
The Volokh Conspiracy, The Independent, QandO, My Right Word, Commentary and Wall Street Journal
RELATED:
David Grossman / Haaretz:
Is Israel too imprisoned in the familiar ceremony of war? — After its severe strike on Gaza, Israel would do well to stop, turn to Hamas' leaders and say: Until Saturday Israel held its fire in the face of thousands of Qassams from the Gaza Strip. Now you know how harsh its response can be.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post
Washington Post:
Israel Rejects Truce, Presses on With Gaza Strikes — Israel continued airstrikes against Gaza Strip targets for a fourth day on Tuesday, destroying civic and other buildings linked to the militant Hamas movement in a campaign Israeli leaders say will continue until the group is crippled.
Haaretz:
ANALYSIS / Hamas is hoping for an IDF ground operation — Three days into Operation Cast Lead, Israel is proposing a diplomatic exit. A ground operation likely looms in an effort to increase the pressure on Hamas. At the same time, however, others argue that the air force is close …
James Hider / Times of London:
Israel vows to sweep Hamas from power — Israel vowed yesterday to sweep Hamas from power in Gaza, pledging “all-out” war and promising to smash every building linked to the Islamist movement. — Hamas continued to lob rockets at the Jewish state as Israeli forces carried out a third …
Jules Crittenden:
So, What Next? — Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak wants “war to the bitter end.”
So, What Next? — Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak wants “war to the bitter end.”
Lorenzo Benet / People.com:
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,” …
Discussion:
NY Daily News, On Deadline, THE WEEK - Online, Gawker, Political Machine, The Other McCain, Hot Air, Washington Wire, TigerHawk and Dependable Renegade
RELATED:
John Vinocur / International Herald Tribune:
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 …
Vanity Fair:
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.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Political Machine, NewsBusters.org, danieldrezner.com and No More Mister Nice Blog
Richard Cohen / Washington Post:
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,” …
Discussion:
The Corner
Scott / Power Line:
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.
Little Green Footballs:
‘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
Discussion:
TigerHawk
Bob Herbert / New York Times:
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.
Discussion:
WTF Is It Now?!?
Roy Edroso / Village Voice:
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.