Top Items:

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.
Discussion:
republicanwhip.house.gov, Pajamas Media, Israel Matzav, The Hill, Haaretz, Hot Air, Power Line, Taylor Marsh, Moonbattery and The Corner on National …
RELATED:

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.


New Israeli Tack Needed on Gaza, U.S. Officials Say — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration considers Israel's blockade of Gaza to be untenable and plans to press for another approach to ensure Israel's security while allowing more supplies into the impoverished Palestinian area, senior American officials said Wednesday.

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.


‘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
Discussion:
Maggie's Farm, Washington Post, Sense of Events, Flopping Aces, New York Times and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion


Obama: Let Israel probe Gaza flotilla raid with U.S. observer
Discussion:
Yaacov Lozowick's Ruminations

Barney Frank calls for probe of Gaza raid
Discussion:
Betsy's Page, Commentary, Weekly Standard, The Moderate Voice, Breitbart.tv, The Huffington Post, Weasel Zippers, Solomonia, The Page and Firedoglake

Danish report from Gaza: “Where's the humanitarian crisis?”
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Israellycool, Ynetnews, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Atlas Shrugs and Solomonia


Romanoff: W.H. suggested three jobs — Colorado U.S. Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff confirmed Wednesday that Jim Messina, President Barack Obama's deputy chief of staff, had suggested three administration jobs that would be available to him if he dropped his plans to run against U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Denver Post, Taylor Marsh, The Page, Open Left, Beltway Confidential and Michelle Malkin
RELATED:

Colorado Dem: Actually, the White House offered me three jobs to quit the primary — Not only does he name names — as the Denver Post originally reported, it was indeed deputy chief of staff Jim Messina who contacted him about dropping out — but he's actually released Messina's e-mail …

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 …

Democratic Senate Candidate: White House Floated Possible Jobs If I Chose to Not Run Against Incumbent — Andrew Romanoff, the former speaker of the Colorado house of representatives, issued a statement Wednesday evening claiming that the White House raised the possibility that he might …


W.H. political team stumbles, bumbles — They toppled Hillary Clinton, crushed John McCain and managed to get the first black man elected president of the United States. — But now a series of recent missteps just keeps getting worse for Barack Obama's political operation …


Charge to Obama: ‘Go off!’ — President Obama goes one-on-one with Larry King on Thursday night to talk about the oil spill, economic turmoil and war. Don't miss the president on “Larry King Live,” 9 p.m. ET Thursday, only on CNN. — (CNN) — In the weeks since an oil rig exploded …
RELATED:

Disclosed Partisanship — In February 1996, then-White House aide …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard


Gaza flotilla: How Israel's ministry of foreign affairs fakes photos of seized weapons — On the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs' Flickr page, the pictures of the so-called weapons seized on the ships taking part in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla provide ample evidence of the deviousness of those darned anti-semitic terrorists.

Bauer campaign adviser asked to resign — Republican gubernatorial hopeful Andre Bauer said today he has asked for and received the resignation of a political consultant for “inappropriate conduct” but would say little more. — Lt. Gov. Bauer announced that adviser Larry Marchant gave him his resignation at noon today.
Discussion:
Associated Press, New York Times, RedState, The Other McCain, Flopping Aces, AmSpecBlog, FITSNews, Democratic Strategist and Riehl World View
RELATED:

Haley, Bauer square off in forum hour after 2nd affair rumor surfaces … Haley. — WEST ASHLEY, SC (WCSC) - Fireworks of a political nature opened the GOP Candidates Forum Wednesday night when gubernatorial hopefuls Nikki Haley and Andre Bauer were asked about a second set of allegations …


Chile hunts Holloway suspect over Peru killing — Woman slain exactly 5 years after U.S. teen's disappearance in Aruba — LIMA, Peru - Police in Chile are checking hotels for a young Dutchman long suspected in the 2005 disappearance of U.S. teen Natalee Holloway and now believed to be involved in the killing of a woman in Peru.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Remmers Report, Fausta's Blog, Scared Monkeys and Riehl World View
RELATED:

Census Bureau makes changes after sex offender hired — The Census Bureau has made some changes to its hiring and security procedures after reports that a convicted sex offender was hired to go door-to-door in New Jersey and an undercover video surfaced showing Census supervisors paying workers for hours they did not work.
RELATED:


Carville doesn't regret ripping W.H. — 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


Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in the Privacy Hot Seat at D8 — When Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was last on the D stage-at D6 in 2008-the company was still reeling from the privacy backlash over its Beacon advertising system. Months earlier, Zuckerberg had apologized for Facebook's disregard …


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 …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Hotline On Call, Left Coast Rebel, Michelle Malkin, TalkLeft, Townhall.com, The Hill and The Politico


Data Used to Justify Health Savings Effort Is Sometimes Shaky — In selling the health care overhaul to Congress, the Obama administration cited a once obscure research group at Dartmouth College to claim that it could not only cut billions in wasteful health care spending but make people healthier by doing so.


Housing Double Dip a Done Deal — Everybody take a nice long look at today's Pending Home Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors, because it's just about the last positive picture we're going to see for a while. — Yes, the index rose even more than expected …