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.
Anchorman / The Daily Caller:
Anchor accuses own network of ‘embarrassing’ bias in Israel coverage — What you' re about to read is perfectly true. I came within a butterfly fart of firing this memo off to my boss this morning in a fit of real rage. But my wife, yet again, intervened. — “You've been whining like this for ten years.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers
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 Moderate Voice, Commentary, The Huffington Post, Weasel Zippers, Taylor Marsh, Firedoglake, Solomonia and The Page
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.
Jerusalem Post:
‘We face international hypocrisy’ — PM: “This was not a ‘Love Boat’, it was a hate boat.” — Talkbacks (88) — Make JPOST.COM your Home Page — Iranian Threat — Jewish World — Local Israel — Arts & Culture — Français — Classifieds — Israel — Middle East
Ibnkafka / Ibn Kafka's obiter dicta:
Gaza flotilla: How Israel's ministry of foreign affairs fakes photos …
Gaza flotilla: How Israel's ministry of foreign affairs fakes photos …
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
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
Khaled Abu Toameh / Jerusalem Post:
Flotilla aid refused by Hamas
Flotilla aid refused by Hamas
Discussion:
YID With LID, Ynetnews, AmSpecBlog, Eunomia, Harry's Place, JOSHUAPUNDIT and Liberty Pundits Blog
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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Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Colorado Dem: Actually, the White House offered me three jobs to quit the primary
Colorado Dem: Actually, the White House offered me three jobs to quit the primary
Brian Beutler / TPMDC:
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.
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Andy Barr / The Politico:
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 …
Bloomberg:
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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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.”
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, Democracy in America, Achenblog, Questions and Observations, Swampland, neo-neocon and Beltway Confidential
RELATED:
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
What Does MoDo Want? — In her column today, she doesn't offer …
msnbc.com:
Holloway suspect sought in Peru killing — Arrest warrant issued for van der Sloot after woman's death — A young Dutchman previously arrested in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway is the prime suspect in a weekend murder of a Peruvian woman, police said Wednesday.
RELATED:
Dennis Welch / The Arizona Guardian:
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 …
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Think Progress, Daily Kos, Washington Monthly, Left Coast Rebel, TPM LiveWire and Talking Points Memo
RELATED:
Glenn Thrush / The Politico:
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
Victor Davis Hanson / The Corner on National …:
The Times, They Are a-Changing — By: Victor Davis Hanson — At the present rate, Turkey has about as much business in NATO as Greece does in the EU. Both countries seem out of place in their respective organizations; both envy and resent northern Europe and the United States …
Natasha Korecki / The Blago Blog:
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 …
Michael O'Brien / The Hill:
Obama orders extension of benefits to gay and lesbian federal employees — President Barack Obama signed a memorandum on Wednesday formally extending benefits to federal employees in same-sex couples. — After a year of review, the president officially extended benefits to federal employees …
Amy L. Edwards / Orlando Sentinel:
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 …
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 …
CNN:
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 former …
Discussion:
The Note