Top Items:
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Biden solidifies defense of Israel: 'What's the big deal here?' — Vice President Joe Biden offered the White House's strongest defense yet of Israeli's actions off the coast of Gaza this week in an interview with Charlie Rose airing tonight on PBS. — “I think Israel has an absolute right to deal with its security interest.
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MJ Rosenberg / The Huffington Post:
Lying About the Gaza Flotilla Attack — It's been one lie after another in the US media about the Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound relief flotilla. No matter that the Israeli media views the whole incident as a debacle for Israel, in this country the Israel-can-do-no-wrong crowd is on overdrive defending the operation.
Discussion:
New York Times
CNN:
IDF: Hamas stops flotilla aid delivered by Israel — Jerusalem (CNN) — Israel has attempted to deliver humanitarian aid from an international flotilla to Gaza, but Hamas — which controls the territory — has refused to accept the cargo, the Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday.
Boston Herald:
Barney Frank calls for probe of Gaza raid — U.S. Rep. Barney Frank had harsh words yesterday for the Israeli Navy after a bloody raid on a pro-Palestinian flotilla outside of Gaza, describing nine activists killed in the conflict as “innocent” and calling for an independent inquiry into the showdown.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Weasel Zippers, Taylor Marsh, Firedoglake, Commentary, Solomonia and The Page
Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:
Op-Ed Columnist: When America's Friends Fall Out
Op-Ed Columnist: When America's Friends Fall Out
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Eunomia, Arabist.net, Yourish.com, Soccer Dad, Reporters Without Borders, Feministing and Feministe
Anchorman / The Daily Caller:
Anchor accuses own network of ‘embarrassing’ bias in Israel coverage
Anchor accuses own network of ‘embarrassing’ bias in Israel coverage
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers
Sam Youngman / The Hill:
Obama talks to leaders in hopes of avoiding repeat of Israeli attack
Obama talks to leaders in hopes of avoiding repeat of Israeli attack
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog
Kevin Jon Heller / Opinio Juris:
Why Is Israel's Blockade of Gaza Legal? (Updated)
Why Is Israel's Blockade of Gaza Legal? (Updated)
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Volokh Conspiracy, McClatchy Washington Bureau, Washington Post, Think Progress, CNN, Focal Point and Discourse.net
Elliott Abrams / Weekly Standard:
Joining the Jackals — At the United Nations, a lynch mob …
Joining the Jackals — At the United Nations, a lynch mob …
Discussion:
Laura Rozen's Blog, Coteret, Commentary, Taylor Marsh, Guardian, The Huffington Post and Wonk Room
Khaled Abu Toameh / Jerusalem Post:
Flotilla aid refused by Hamas
Flotilla aid refused by Hamas
Discussion:
Ynetnews, YID With LID, AmSpecBlog, Eunomia, Harry's Place, Liberty Pundits Blog and JOSHUAPUNDIT
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NBC runs Palin statement day later — NBC's “Today” show on Wednesday read a statement from Sarah Palin intended for the previous day's broadcast after the former Alaska governor's complaint that the program ignored her rebuttal to a critical interview. — On Tuesday, the show broadcast …
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Palin: Oil Spill Proves We Were Right About 'Drill, Baby, Drill — The very politician who inspired country songs about drilling for oil is now boasting that her “drill here, drill now” plan for U.S. energy policy would have mitigated or forestalled the oil disaster in the Gulf...if only you redefine what she meant when she said that.
Philip Elliott / Associated Press:
AP Sources: Admin talked jobs with Romanoff — WASHINGTON — Administration officials dangled the possibility of a job for former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff last year in hopes he would forgo a challenge to Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, administration officials said Wednesday …
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Byron York / Beltway Confidential:
Robert Gibbs raises the Sestak stonewall
Robert Gibbs raises the Sestak stonewall
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Politico, Hullabaloo, Flopping Aces, FiveThirtyEight, The Daily Caller, Nice Deb, Betsy's Page and Washington Post
Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
A Storyteller Loses the Story Line — It's not a good narrative arc: The man who walked on water is now ensnared by a crisis under water. — One little hole a mile down on the ocean floor, so deep it seems like hell spewing up its sulfurous smoke, has turned the thrilling saga of “The One” into the gurgling horror of “The Abyss.”
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Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
What Does MoDo Want? — In her column today, she doesn't offer …
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BP Oil Leak May Last Until Christmas in Worst Case Scenario — BP Plc's failure since April to plug a Gulf of Mexico oil leak has prompted forecasts the crude may continue gushing into December in what President Barack Obama has called the greatest environmental disaster in U.S. history.
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Glenn Thrush / The Politico:
Obama whacks GOP in Pittsburgh — PITTSBURGH — President Barack Obama — seizing on the smash-mouth spirit of the Steelers — delivered his first major midterm hit on the GOP on Wednesday during a quick trip to Western Pennsylvania. — Obama has largely been on the defensive during …
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RAHM EMANUEL (and Valerie Jarrett) SUBPOENAED BY BLAGOJEVICH: ATTORNEY — President Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel was subpoenaed by the defense to testify in Rod Blagojevich's upcoming trial, a Blagojevich attorney told the Chicago Sun-Times. — “Yes, he's been subpoenaed by the defense …
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Brewer tells conflicting stories about dad's war effort — Gov. Jan Brewer said in a recent interview that her father died fighting Nazis in Germany. In fact, the death of Wilford Drinkwine came 10 years after World War II had ended. — During the war, Drinkwine worked as a civilian supervisor …
Sarah Palin / Facebook:
Competition's Good! Joe Miller for Alaska — Contested primaries are so good for America's political process! Competition makes everyone work harder, be more efficient, debate clearer, and produce more. So, Alaskans should be thrilled that Joe Miller jumped in the GOP race and is ready …
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Ex-Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer arrested — Jim Greer, former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida who has been under criminal investigation for his financial handling of the organization, was arrested this morning. — Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents brought Greer …
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Carville unrepentant on W.H. criticism — James Carville walked into one of his favorite New Orleans eateries, Eleven 79, Tuesday night — and was stunned to find BP CEO Tony Hayward and Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the two men tasked with stopping the Gulf spill, eating dinner together.
Discussion:
CNN
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Kirk campaign acknowledges another misrepresentation of military service — Mark Kirk's Senate campaign has now acknowledged a second misrepresentation of his service record, admitting to me that his Web site falsely claimed that he was “the only member of Congress to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom.”
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TRENDING: George W. Bush joins Facebook — The office of former President George W. Bush has joined popular social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. — Washington (CNN) - He was succeeded in the White House by the most web savvy administration in U.S. history, but that has not stopped …
Discussion:
The Note
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Study Finds Blacks Blocked From Southern Juries — In late April in a courthouse in Madison County, Ala., a prosecutor was asked to explain why he had struck 11 of 14 black potential jurors in a capital murder case. — The district attorney, Robert Broussard, said one had seemed “arrogant” and “pretty vocal.”
Discussion:
Washington Post, Pam's House Blend, Gawker, Matthew Yglesias, Law Blog, Emptywheel and The Reality-Based Community