memeorandum: So, What Next? — Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak wants “war to the bitter end.” (Jules Crittenden)

8:55 AM ET, December 30, 2008

Top Items:

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

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, Commentary, My Right Word and Wall Street Journal

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.

Discussion: MSNBC and Commentary

New York Times:

Death Toll Surpasses 350 in Fourth Day of Conflict — JERUSALEM — Israel launched airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza for a fourth consecutive day on Tuesday after Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Parliament that his country was waging an “all-out war with Hamas” and another official ruled out a cease-fire.

Discussion: On Deadline, Los Angeles Times, Tikun Olam, TIME.com and Associated Press

Jules Crittenden:

So, What Next? — Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak wants “war to the bitter end.” Hamas is on the run, its terrorist infrastructure and personnel being blown to bits as we speak. All good, but at the end of the day, all that gets you is a pile of rubble and a bunch of dead terrorists …

Discussion: Jerusalem Post, A Blog For All, New York Times, Ynetnews, MEMRI and The New Republic

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 …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, CBS News and The Moderate Voice

Pamela Geller / Atlas Shrugs:
WOE IS ME ... PITY THOSE POOR DEAD ANNIHILATIONISTS

Discussion: The Other McCain, the “silent&rdquo …, CAMERA, Jihad Watch and The New Republic

Jeffrey Goldberg:
The Gaza War — If someone was sending rockets on my house …

Discussion: Salon, CQ Politics, Commentary, The Muqata, J Street, New York Times, Hot Air, Mondoweiss, Weekly Standard, JammieWearingFool and The Politico

CNN:
Barak: Israel in ‘all-out war’ with Hamas

Discussion: Israpundit, The Mahatma X Files and Wizbang

Steve Clemons / The Washington Note:
View From a Palestinian Leader: Palestine's Guernica and the Myths …

Discussion: presstv.ir, Haaretz, American Prospect, Mondoweiss, Prairie Weather, Guardian and The Democratic Daily

Richard Boudreaux / Los Angeles Times:
Israel has learned from its failure in Lebanon

Discussion: Washington Post, Israellycool, New York Times, Soccer Dad, War in Context, Building Peace, Time, Haaretz, D-Day, Random Thoughts, Kevin Drum, ATTACKERMAN and Guardian

Gershon Shafir / Informed Comment:
WAR WITHOUT END?

Discussion: Global Voices Online, Change.org's Blog Network, ATTACKERMAN and Mirror.co.uk

Jerusalem Post: Barak: This is ‘all out war’ on Hamas

Guardian:
Israel says its army is fighting war to the bitter end against Hamas

Discussion: NO QUARTER, The Nation and Mondoweiss

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, Hot Air, Washington Wire, TigerHawk, The Other McCain and Dependable Renegade

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:

Bristol Palin's baby makes Sarah Palin a grandma. And he's a Republican — Sarah Palin's oldest daughter, Bristol, has had a baby boy — 7 pounds 7 ounces. — His name weighs in at only four pounds — Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston. — “The baby is fine. Bristol is doing well.

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

Anchorage Daily News:

Bristol Palin gives birth to healthy son — Gov.Sarah Palin is a grandmother. The baby's name is Tripp, and he was born early Sunday morning, People magazine is reporting. — Palin's daughter, Bristol, gave birth to the healthy 7-pound, 4-ounce baby in the Valley, the magazine reported on its Web site.

Discussion: TalkLeft, Brilliant at Breakfast and AMERICAblog News

Esnead / The Dish Rag:
Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol has a son, Tripp Easton Mitchell

Discussion: Top of the Ticket and Don Surber

Mark Silva / The Swamp: Sarah Palin's grandson: What a Tripp

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: NewsBusters.org, danieldrezner.com and No More Mister Nice Blog

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

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,” …

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

The Huffington Post:

Hale “Bonddad” Stewart: Senator McConnell — Idiot of the Highest Order — From the Washington Post: … Rant on: — Let me get this straight. A Senator who oversaw one of the largest expansions in government spending in history is now concerned about spending?

Discussion: Buck Naked Politics and Multi Medium