memeorandum: UN PALESTINIAN STOOGE: “IT'S OBVIOUS” … (Mere Rhetoric)

11:16 AM ET, December 30, 2008

Top Items:

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.

Discussion: Haaretz, NO QUARTER, Taylor Marsh, Jerusalem Post, Israel Matzav, MSNBC, Los Angeles Times, Commentary, Elder of Ziyon, Buck Naked Politics and Soccer Dad

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: Firedoglake, Commentary, The Volokh Conspiracy, The Independent, QandO and My Right Word

Max Socol / Jerusalem Post:

IDF launches YouTube Gaza channel — In the midst of its Gaza operations, the IDF is entering yet another conflict zone: the Internet. The Israeli army announced yesterday the creation of its own YouTube channel, through which it will disseminate footage of precision bombing operations in the Gaza Strip …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, Commentary, Yourish.com, Ynetnews and MSNBC

Craig Schneider / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

McKinney relief boat rammed by Israeli navy — A boat carrying international peace activists, including former Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, and medical supplies to the embattled Gaza Strip sailed back into a Lebanese port on Tuesday after being turned back and damaged by the Israeli navy, organizers of the trip said.

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

Haaretz:
ANALYSIS / Hamas is hoping for an IDF ground operation

Discussion: ABCNEWS, CBS News, War and Piece, Maggie's Farm, Commentary, The Moderate Voice, Atlas Shrugs, Buck Naked Politics and Mirror.co.uk

Daoud Kuttab / Washington Post:
Has Israel Revived Hamas?

Discussion: New York Times, Yourish.com, Change.org's Blog Network, My Right Word, Random Thoughts and Jeffrey Goldberg

New York Times:
On Fourth Day of Gaza Battle, No End in Sight

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, CQ Politics, The Reaction, ATTACKERMAN, The Caucus, Tikun Olam, TIME.com, On Deadline, Los Angeles Times, Mondoweiss, Gateway Pundit, Associated Press, CNN and Washington Monthly

James Hider / Times of London:
Israel vows to sweep Hamas from power

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns and Money and Harry's Place

Andy Barr / The Politico:

‘Magic Negro’ flap might help Saltsman — The controversy surrounding a comedy CD distributed by Republican National Committee chair candidate Chip Saltsman has not torpedoed his bid and might have inadvertently helped it. — Four days after news broke that the former Tennessee GOP chairman …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Washington Monthly, Talking Points Memo, Political Machine, PoliPundit.com, TPM Election Central, Washington Times, The Campaign Spot, Democracy in America and Shakesville

Laura Litvan / Bloomberg:

McConnell Urges Caution in Debate on Economic Stimulus Measure — Dec. 29 (Bloomberg) — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he wants to slow consideration of the economic stimulus package Democrats are drafting, warning that the measure sought by President-elect Barack Obama invites wasteful spending.

Ben Pershing / Washington Post:
Stimulus Will Test Remaining GOP Clout

Discussion: Democracy in America and The Crypt's Blogs

Paul Kane / Washington Post:
GOP Leaders Seek Extensive Vetting of Stimulus Plan

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Monthly, PBD and TPM Election Central

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: The Moderate Voice and WTF Is It Now?!?

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, THE WEEK - Online, Gawker, On Deadline, The Dish Rag, The Other McCain, Political Machine, Hot Air, Washington Wire, TigerHawk, Don Surber and Dependable Renegade

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Bristol Palin's baby makes Sarah Palin a grandma. And he's a Republican

Discussion: Guardian, BBC, Tabloid Edition, BizzyBlog and The Dish Rag

Courtney Hazlett / MSNBC:
Bristol could earn $300,000 for baby pics

Discussion: Jezebel

Anchorage Daily News:
Bristol Palin gives birth to healthy son

Discussion: Brilliant at Breakfast, TalkLeft and AMERICAblog News

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 …

Discussion: Gates of Vienna, Vox Popoli, Maggie's Farm and Neptunus Lex

Amanda Hill / The 2008 Weblog Awards:

2008 Weblog Awards Finalists — Here is a complete list of the finalists for The 2008 Weblog Awards. Finalists badges (hosted by Imageshack) will be available Wednesday. Voting is scheduled to begin on January 5, 2009. — Please note that the names of the Technorati Autority categories have changed …

Discussion: Elder of Ziyon, TransGriot, Atlas Shrugs, JammieWearingFool and A Blog For All

Jeffrey Goldberg:

A Fatah Friend Writes: I'm Supporting the Israeli Air Force — It's a strange world, but there you have it. I've been talking to friends of mine, former Palestinian Authority intelligence officials (ejected from power by the Hamas coup), and they tell me that not only are they rooting …

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

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: Washington Monthly, Associated Press, Facing South, Political Machine, Connecting.the.Dots, NewsBusters.org, danieldrezner.com and No More Mister Nice Blog

Associated Press:

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

Discussion: Riehl World View and AMERICAblog News

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.

Discussion: Bloomberg