memeorandum: Ron Barber defeats Martha McSally in race for Giffords's former seat (Associated Press)

7:55 PM ET, November 18, 2012

Top Items:

Brendan Sasso / The Hill:

Sen. McCain calls for Bill Clinton to lead Israel-Palestinian talks — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) suggested on Sunday that President Obama should send former President Bill Clinton to lead cease fire talks between Israelis and Palestinians. — “We need a person of enormous prestige …

Discussion: The Impolitic, Talking Points Memo and Politico

Gilad Sharon / Jerusalem Post:

A decisive conclusion is necessary — There is no middle path here - either the Gazans and their infrastructure are made to pay the price, or we reoccupy the entire Gaza Strip. — Anyone who thinks Hamas is going to beg for a cease-fire, that Operation Pillar of Defense will draw to a close …

Discussion: The Agonist and Haaretz

New York Times:

Gaza Violence Is Unabating as Outsiders Push for a Truce — GAZA CITY — Israeli forces killed at least 11 people, including several children, in a single airstrike that destroyed a home here on Sunday, as Israel pressed its bombardment of the Gaza Strip for a fifth day …

Discussion: Reuters, Firedoglake, Reporters Without Borders, Sky News, maannews.net, Gawker, New York Magazine, Mondoweiss, www.wnyc.org, msnbc.com and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, more at Mediagazer »

Haaretz:

LIVE BLOG: Day 5 of Israel's Gaza offensive — Two Israelis moderately wounded in rocket attack on Ofakim; ten Palestinians killed in IDF attack, raising death toll to 65; AP: Israeli envoy landed in Cairo for cease-fire talks. — Israeli soldiers watch as an Iron Dome launcher fires …

Discussion: Mondoweiss, Israel Matzav and The Gateway Pundit

Associated Press:

OBAMA: ISRAEL HAS RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF — BANGKOK (AP) — President Barack Obama says Israel has a right to defend itself from missiles being aimed at the country by militants in the Gaza Strip. — Obama says “no country on earth would tolerate missiles raining down” …

Discussion: Washington Post, World News, The Hill and New York Times

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

Allen West falls further behind — Florida Rep. Allen West's reelection prospects grew dimmer Sunday, as a recount of early ballots showed him falling further behind his Democratic opponent. — Democrat Patrick Murphy, a 29-year-old construction company executive, gained 242 votes …

Discussion: Reuters, Outside the Beltway, The Raw Story and Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes'

Meghashyam Mali / Ballot Box:

Murphy claims victory after recount deadline, West weighs challenge — Democrat Patrick Murphy's campaign is claiming victory in his race to unseat GOP Rep. Allen West (Fla.) on Sunday after a deadline for certifying results passed and a partial recount added votes to the challenger's lead.

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:

Top Republicans Excoriate Romney On Sunday Talk Shows — If Mitt Romney has any friends left in the Republican Party, they're in hiding. — On the Sunday talk shows, senior Republicans, former Romney surrogates and prominent conservatives piled on their defeated presidential nominee …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Seung Min Kim / Politico: Graham to Romney: 'When you're in a hole, stop digging'

Ben Armbruster / ThinkProgress:

Lieberman Breaks With McCain, Graham On Libya Investigation: ‘I Respectfully Separate From My Two Amigos’ — Today on Fox News Sunday, Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) said they did not think the U.S. Senate should create a special committee to investigate the deaths …

Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes'

Seung Min Kim / Politico:
Lieberman splits from ‘my 2 amigos’

Discussion: The Raw Story

Brendan Sasso / The Hill:
Sen. Chambliss: Rice needs to share what ‘White House directed her to say’

Discussion: CNN and Politico

Aviva Shen / ThinkProgress:

McCain Refuses To Support Any Secretary Of State Nominee — Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has not hesitated to voice his distaste towards U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, who may be nominated to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. On Face the Nation Sunday morning …

Discussion: Balloon Juice and Outside the Beltway

Pedro Oliveira Jr / New York Post:

White House denies terror delete — The White House yesterday denied it edited talking points about the terrorist attack that killed the American ambassador to Libya — contradicting remarks made a day earlier by disgraced ex-CIA chief David Petraeus. — “The only edit that was made by the White House …

Discussion: Associated Press, The Lonely Conservative and Michelle Malkin

Anne Flaherty / Associated Press:
Congress to Investigate Benghazi ‘Talking Points’

Discussion: Politico

Ross Douthat / New York Times:

The Liberal Gloat — WINNING an election doesn't just offer the chance to govern the country. It offers a chance to feel morally and intellectually superior to the party you've just beaten. This is an inescapable aspect of democratic culture: no matter what reason tells us about the vagaries of politics …

Discussion: Paul Krugman, Chicago Boyz, No More Mister Nice Blog and City Journal

Charlotte Allen / Los Angeles Times:

Hey GOP, take the Palin cure — She's hot, she's blue collar, she's electable. — Is Sarah Palin the new Ronald Reagan? (Jon C. Hancock / Associated Press ) — The Republican Party has been doing a lot of hand-wringing and finger-pointing since the presidential election.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Addicting Info, Roger Ailes, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Mother Jones and Conservatives4Palin

Mike Masnick / Techdirt:

House Republicans: Copyright Law Destroys Markets; It's Time For Real Reform — Update: Wow. It took less than 24 hours for the RSC to fold to Hollywood pressure. They have now retracted the report and attempted to claim that it was not properly vetted.

Discussion: TechCrunch, Marginal Revolution and Firedoglake, more at Mediagazer »