Top Items:
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
More oddities in the U.S. “debate” over Israel/Gaza — (updated below - Update II) — This Rasmussen Reports poll — the first to survey American public opinion specifically regarding the Israeli attack on Gaza — strongly bolsters the severe disconnect I documented the other day between …
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Martin Fletcher / Times of London:
Israel set to begin ground war against Hamas in Gaza — James Hider on the Gaza border, and Sheera Frenkel in Jerusalem — Israel is poised to launch a major ground offensive into Gaza tonight after allowing hundreds of foreigners living in the devastated territory to evacuate.
Alan M. Dershowitz / Wall Street Journal:
Israel's Policy Is Perfectly ‘Proportionate’
Israel's Policy Is Perfectly ‘Proportionate’
Discussion:
NO QUARTER, Liberal Values, Gateway Pundit, Bookworm Room, Associated Press and Outside The Beltway
Lynn Bartels / Rocky Mountain News:
Sources: Bennet will be Colorado's new senator — Denver Public Schools superintendent Michael Bennet is expected to be named Saturday as the future U.S. Senate replacement for Interior Secretary nominee Ken Salazar, according to two Democratic sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
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Denver Post:
Michael Bennet chosen as next Senator — Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet has been chosen to fill the U.S. Senate seat, sources close to the process confimed this morning. — Bennet would fill the seat after the confirmation of Ken Salazar as Interior Secretary.
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Michael Bennet — The Rocky Mountain News is reporting …
Michael Bennet — The Rocky Mountain News is reporting …
Discussion:
Eduwonk
CNN:
Aides: Democrats have plan if Burris shows up — (CNN) — Senate Democratic leaders think Roland Burris, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's pick to fill President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, will likely show up on Capitol Hill Tuesday for the opening day of Congress …
Discussion:
The Crypt's Blogs, TPM Election Central, Hot Air, Open Left, Sister Toldjah, The Swamp, Althouse, Chicago Boyz, PoliPundit.com and Viking Pundit
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Jane Hamsher / The Huffington Post:
Harry Reid, Punk'd By Blago Over Burris, Rejects The Rule Of Law
Harry Reid, Punk'd By Blago Over Burris, Rejects The Rule Of Law
Lynn Sweet / Chicago Sun Times:
Senate opposition fiercer than Burris thinks
Senate opposition fiercer than Burris thinks
Discussion:
The Politico, Associated Press, Ben Smith's Blogs, CNN, Make Them Accountable, TIME.com and Political Machine
Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Signing Off — Farewell, TPMers — I can't believe I'm writing this, but for the foreseeable future this is my last post at TPM. — I'm heading over to The Washington Post, where I'll be writing the lead blog on a new site that WaPo is launching. This will drive you mad with curiosity …
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Michael Goldfarb / Weekly Standard:
Sargent to WaPo — Greg Sargent, the prolific TPM reporter, announced today that he's heading to the Washington Post to run a new blog. Sargent is an unrepentant Democratic partisan, which means he should fit in well with the staff at the Post, but also a top notch reporter.
Aaron Blake / The Hill:
Cornyn promises filibuster on Franken seating — Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) threatened Friday to filibuster any attempt to seat Democratic Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken next week. — The newly minted National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) chairman said he had not whipped votes …
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Amy Gardner / Washington Post:
9 Muslim Passengers Removed From Jet — Others on Flight Say a Remark Was ‘Suspicious’ — Officials ordered nine Muslim passengers, including three young children, off an AirTran flight headed to Orlando from Reagan National Airport yesterday afternoon after two other passengers overheard what they thought was a suspicious remark.
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Jeremy Olshan / New York Post:
HAPPY #*%! NEW YEAR TO YOU, TOO! — COMIC KATHY LASHES OUT AT HECKLER ON CNN — Comedienne Kathy Griffin may be doomed to life on CNN's S-list after answering a heckler with a shrieking, vulgar tirade during the network's live New Year's Eve broadcast. — “Screw you,” she told the heckler.
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Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:
Some Conservatives Fear Obama Advisers Lean Too Far Left — To Some Conservatives, Advisers Are Alarmingly Liberal — To some staunch conservatives watching President Bush relinquish the reins of power to President-elect Barack Obama, a few too many ardent liberals are now crashing the gates.
Discussion:
Liberal Values, Washington Monthly, MoJoBlog, AmSpecBlog, Macsmind, Roger Ailes, Open Left, AMERICAblog News and D-Day
Mary Katharine Ham / Weekly Standard:
Obama: Don't Ask Me No Questions — Just for fun, a brief year in review of Obama's legendary new openness and transparency with the press corps:
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Bigger Than Bush — As the new Democratic majority prepares to take power, Republicans have become, as Phil Gramm might put it, a party of whiners. — Some of the whining almost defies belief. Did Alberto Gonzales, the former attorney general, really say, “I consider myself a casualty …
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Wall Street Journal:
The Senate Goes Wobbly on Card Check — It's hard to defend taking away the secret ballot. — Responsibility has a way of focusing the mind. — Take Mark Pryor, Democratic senator from Arkansas. In 2007, Mr. Pryor voted to move card check, Big Labor's No. 1 priority. And why not?
Jeff D. Opdyke / Wall Street Journal:
The Doomsayers Who Got It Right — More Bad News in Store for 2009? Last Year's Cassandras Are Still Gloomy — For years, they were the party poopers: financial prognosticators who, amid the ebullient stock prices and effervescent home values that defined the early 21st century, warned of trouble.
TMZ.com:
John Travolta's Son Dies — Rand Memorial Hospital in the Bahamas tells TMZ the son of John Travolta died today. — We're told 16-year-old Jett was vacationing with Travolta and wife Kelly Preston. — There have been reports that Jett was autistic, though Travolta has denied it …
Peter Berkowitz / Wall Street Journal:
Conservatives Can Unite Around the Constitution — The coalition that supported Reagan is as viable as ever. — After their dismal performance in November, conservatives are taking stock. As they debate the causes that have driven them into the political wilderness and as they contemplate paths out, they should also take heart.
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog
Associated Press:
Governor may be leaning toward Kennedy — Two people close to Paterson tell AP they believe she'll be his choice — ALBANY, N.Y. - Officials say the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy will be the governor's choice to fill the New York Senate seat being vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton.