memeorandum: Home prices post record 18% drop (Les Christie/CNNMoney.com)

3:45 PM ET, December 30, 2008

Top Items:

Reid: Senate won't seat Blagojevich pick — Then Governor-elect Rod Blagojevich introduces his board of advisors, including Roland Burris (to the governor's left) in November 2002. (Tribune file photo / Chuck Berman) — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) …

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:

Senate Leadership: Burris ‘unacceptable’ — The Senate will not seat Roland Burris if Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich attempts to appoint him, a Democratic leadership aide said. — Majority Leader Harry Reid views Burris as “unacceptable,” the aide said.

Discussion: The Capitol Fax Blog, The Swamp, MSNBC, Fox News, Concurring Opinions, TPM Election Central, Hot Air, Erick's blog, Open Congress and A Blog For All

Dave McKinney / Chicago Sun Times:

Blagojevich to name Roland Burris to Obama's Senate seat — Gov. Blagojevich today is expected to name former state Comptroller and Attorney General Roland Burris to Illinois' vacant U.S. Senate seat, a knowledgeable source said this morning. — A news conference is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin and Daily Pundit

Associated Press:

White will try to reject — Blagojevich Senate pick — SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White says he'll reject any paperwork that Gov. Rod Blagojevich files to name a new U.S. senator. — The secretary of state keeps state records and certifies official actions.

Discussion: Washington Post

Chicago Tribune:

Rod Blagojevich expected to name Roland Burris to Obama senate seat — Get the latest on the Blagojevich case — Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected today to name former Illinois Atty. Gen. Roland Burris to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, driftglass, D-Day and The Campaign Spot

Lynn Sweet:

Roland Burris to be named to replace Obama in Senate; Senate leaders say they will not seat Burris. — WASHINGTON—I've learned that Gov. Blagojevich will name former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to replace President elect Barack Obama in the Senate on Tuesday afternoon.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Nation, Open Left and Real Clear Politics

Monica Davey / The Caucus:
Blagojevich to Name Obama Senate Replacement

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, FiveThirtyEight.com and MyDD

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
BLAGO'S NEW GAMBIT — We've just gotten word that Gov. Blagojevich …

Discussion: Washington Monthly

The Politico: Breaking: Blagojevich tries to name Obama successor

Josh Kalven / Progress Illinois:
Just Two Weeks Ago, Burris Called Blago Allegations “Appalling” …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, The New Republic and Think Progress

CNN:
Blagojevich names Obama successor

Discussion: Democracy in America and Political Punch

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 …

Discussion: Washington Post, Jerusalem Post, A Blog For All, Yourish.com and Ynetnews

Noah Pollak / Commentary:

What YouTube Doesn't Want You to See — Yesterday, the IDF did something innovative: it opened a channel on YouTube and posted videos to it that help explain why Israel is fighting Hamas. The site hosted about a dozen videos showing things like Israeli humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza …

Discussion: Ynetnews, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Mere Rhetoric, Danger Room, Soccer Dad, Little Green Footballs, American Power, Yourish.com, Hot Air, Elder of Ziyon and Atlas Shrugs

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: Weekly Standard, Haaretz, CNN, Personal Democracy Forum, NewsBusters.org, Gawker and New York Times

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.

Discussion: Elder of Ziyon, Little Green Footballs, Michelle Malkin, JammieWearingFool, Booman Tribune and Jules Crittenden

CNN:
Gaza relief boat damaged in encounter with Israeli vessel

Discussion: Hot Air, The Raw Story, RedState, NewsBusters.org and A Blog For All

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: Erie Daily Times-Morning News, bastard.logic, Gawker, QandO, TPM Election Central, The Reaction, The Raw Story, Matthew Yglesias, Political Machine, PoliPundit.com, Democratic Strategist, Wonkette and Hullabaloo

Adam Serwer / American Prospect:
PARSING BARACK THE MAGIC NEGRO.

Discussion: Political Machine, Erick's blog and NewsBusters.org

Ralph Z. Hallow / Washington Times:
EXCLUSIVE: RNC draft rips Bush's bailouts

Discussion: Concurring Opinions, The Raw Story, StephenBainbridge.com and The Next Right

Wall Street Journal:

Hamas Knows One Big Thing — If only it were a parable, the endless confrontation between Israel and its enemies would be the case of the hedgehog and the fox. The fox, said the Greek poet Archilochus, knows many things, while the hedgehog knows one big thing.

Discussion: Jerusalem Post, Washington Post, New York Times, Haaretz, Boston Globe, Commentary, The Nation, Hot Air and Mondoweiss

Benny Morris / New York Times:
Why Israel Feels Threatened

Discussion: Washington Post, Guardian, Little Green Footballs, Times of London, Jerusalem Post, Mondoweiss, Syria Comment and The Independent

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
George Washington's warnings and U.S. policy towards Israel

Discussion: Firedoglake, TalkLeft, Associated Press, The Volokh Conspiracy, CQ Politics, CBS News, Guardian and D-Day

Zeina Karam / Associated Press:
Thousands protest Gaza assault in Lebanon

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Baghdad Bureau, Gulf News, Mercury Rising, Wonk Room and UPI

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:

ZBIG SMACKS DOWN MORNIN' JOE — Zbig to Joe: “You have a such stunningly superficial knowledge of what went on it's almost embarrassing to listen to you.”

Discussion: Bark Bark Woof Woof

Paul Walsh / Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Canvassing Board nudges Franken's lead up to 50 — The State Canvassing Board today made changes to a handful of withdrawn challenges in the U.S. Senate recount battle and gave DFL challenger Al Franken a net gain of four votes, nudging his unofficial lead to 50.

Discussion: Power Line, TalkLeft and TIME.com

Scott / Power Line:
A SOLUTION WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM

Discussion: Bloomberg

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: JammieWearingFool, The Huffington Post and Althouse

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 …