Fallout...

Less than 72 hours after its messy high seas blockade operation - one that resulted in a number of high-visibility military and "civilian" casualties - Israel is now reaping the whirlwind.

In a high-stakes game of international PR, the "ragtag" Gaza humanitarian supply group (aka: Hamas supporters) backed the Jewish state into a corner - and Israel lost. Given a choice of letting the flotilla supply Gaza (which Israel already does) with not just humanitarian aid but also weapons (possibly) as well, the Israelis acted. Unfortunately, the operation went south in a hurry.

Israeli commandos aboard one of the Gaza flotilla ships...

Ill-prepared for a less-than-warm welcome, the Israelis were forced to respond with violence and things got messy. And they got messy on video and mobile communications devices which beamed the mess around the world several times before the situation ever ended.

The ill-conceived, poorly executed operation(s) left Israel with a black eye, canceled a meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, and left numerous allies condemning Israel's actions.

The Israeli naval commandos are met by the humanitarian group's "welcoming committee," outfitted with metal clubs and knives...

The worldwide reaction to this weekend's botched raids are a harbinger of things to come. Iran has ramped up its nukes program; Syria is now known to be dabbling with nuclear weapons; Scud missiles have been shipped to Hezbollah in Lebanon; and the entire region is at tripwire tension.

Below is a brief rundown on some of the stories surrounding this story...

Israel Faces Pressure on Gaza After Raid - The day after a raid that left nine activists dead, Egypt reopened its border with Gaza to allow aid to flow through. / U.N. Council Condemns ‘Acts’ in Raid (NY Times)

Pressure Rises on Israel Over Raid - Israel said it won't prosecute anyone accused of attacking its soldiers during a raid on an aid ship and said its forces would stop two more vessels heading for Gaza. Egypt opened its border with the territory. / Turkey Slams U.S. Response to Israel (Wall Street Journal)

Israeli raid puts Obama in difficult spot / Egypt opens border with Gaza Strip (LA Times)

The Big Question: How should the U.S. respond to Israel? - Some of the nation's top political commentators, legislators and intellectuals offer their insight into the biggest news of the day. (The Hill)

Within Israel, Finger-Pointing and Lessons Learned. (PajamasMedia)

The Terror Finance Flotilla - The convoy of ships allegedly trying to bring aid to the Gaza Strip was organized by a group belonging to an officially designated terrorist organization. (The Weekly Standard)

Has Israel lost lone regional Muslim ally Turkey? (BBC News)

ONGOING: To find out what is happening – almost to the minute – check The Jerusalem Post’s news feed.

Stories to watch this week...

Within just a matter of hours, peace erupted into all-out violence this weekend...a major catastrophe worsened...politics as usual continued to be "politics unusual." Here are a few of the top stories to watch this week:

Israeli Raid Complicates U.S. Ties and Push for Peace - The deadly operation on a flotilla trying to break a blockade of Gaza introduced a new strain into already tense relations between the United States and Israel. (NY Times) / Israel defends flotilla raid amid global furor - Soldiers came under attack on an aid boat, officials say. Activists say any skirmish was self-defense. (LA Times)


A video still from the Israeli raid on the Gaza supply flotilla...

IAEA: Iran has over 2 tons enriched uranium -2 bombs' worth… Iran has amassed more than two tons of enriched uranium, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday in a report that heightened Western concerns about the country preparing to produce a nuclear weapon. (Jerusalem Post)

BP Revised Permits Before Blast: A week before the Deepwater Horizon exploded, BP asked regulators to approve permits for three successive changes to its oil well over the course of 24 hours. (Wall Street Journal) / Best hope for Gulf two months away - Two relief wells being drilled diagonally into the gushing well offer the best chance of stopping the leak. Even then, the first tries probably won't work. (SF Chronicle)


The BP oil plumes now threatens vast, fragile underwater ecosystems...

Qaeda Aide Believed Dead: Al Qaeda's third in command, who played key roles in a recently foiled terrorist plot against the U.S. and the 2001 terrorist attacks, is believed to have been killed by a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan's tribal areas, potentially dealing a significant blow to the terrorist network. (Wall Street Journal)


Sheik Sa'id al-Masri, al Qaeda's chief operating officer, was "fired"...

“Spain next in line to collapse under weight of borrowing to pay for socialism.” (Yahoo! News via Fark.com)

In the California GOP governor’s race: Poizner, trailing, slams Whitman's 'obscene' spending (LA Times)

Ranking member on Judiciary considering options to probe Sestak offer details - Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said the "factual errors" blamed by the White House "could be not getting their stories right." (The Hill)

Home Sales Set to Plummet in Markets Hit Hard by Foreclosures. (Bloomberg)

Poll: California voters favor Arizona law. (LA Times via Don Surber)

Didn't see that one coming...

It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world...so it's easy to understand how a busy person can miss some of the important things out there. So as a service to you - and some of the folks here - The Bliss Index™ presents the following collection of news and information you probably didn't see coming...

News item: Iran agrees to nuclear exchange, will send enriched fuel to Turkey - The deal, brokered with the help of Brazil, could be a breakthrough in the long diplomatic deadlock over Tehran's nuclear program. Ahmadinejad calls on the West to resume talks. Experts are saying Iran scored a a”nuclear coup.” Hey, how’s that diplomatic dialogue working for ya?

Add Iran: Meanwhile Israel is taking Iran at its word and preparing to ensure “never again” isn’t a hollow promise…

Add Israel and the Middle East: "Residents in Southern Gaza who supported Hamas because Israeli troops were beating them and bulldozing their houses have just been beaten and had their houses bulldozed. By Hamas." (h/t: fark)

Last add Middle East: Meanwhile Israel is taking Iran at its word and preparing to ensure “never again” isn’t a hollow promise…

Hope and no change...

Meanwhile, elsewhere...

Are you telling me she didn't see this coming?: Barbara Boxer is facing her toughest race since 1992, according to most pollwatchers. (Boxer, btw, has never polled well, it's just that she's been incredible lucky to have horrible GOP opponents in general elections.) In this article, Democratic challenger Mickey Kaus shows that California's junior senator is having a difficult time connecting with moderates...

Five years ago in L.A.: It seems like just yesterday Antonio Villaraigosa was elected mayor. It’s been downhill there ever since…

Looks like someone has some ‘splainin’ to do: Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D), who is seeking the U.S. Senate seat belonging to the outgoing Christopher Dodd (D), appears to have talked up his military record - actually, exaggerated is more like it...

The day the laughter died and with it, a career...

Add stolen valor: As the terrific Instapundit blog points out, “if by chance Blumenthal is elected, he wouldn’t be the only Democrat in the Senate caught lying about serving in Vietnam.”

From the "No Duh" department: “States’ Tax Collections Falter, Widening Budget Gaps.” Yes, some legislators still think it’s a good idea to raise taxes (driving business down…or out of state)...

Totally unpredictable (not): Jerry Brown lashes out at GOP candidates - California's AG calls his gubernatorial rivals Whitman and Poizner "the apostles of darkness and ignorance." This from the man who sold (out) California for 30 pieces of silver back when he was governor -the first two times...

Pondering the future-past (passed?)...

Here's a shocker (not): ACLU sues to stop Arizona's immigration law. Because, you know, illegal immigrants are due their American rights...

Add Arizona's immigration law: Remember the LA City Councilman who led the charge to boycott Arizona because of the "racist" law? Turns out he's never even read the law...

Speaking of "not having read the Arizona law" - Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano admits she hasn't read the Arizona immigration law, but passed judgment on it anyway. "That's not the kind of law I would have signed," she declared. "I believe it's a bad law enforcement law. I believe it mandates and requires local enforcement and puts them in a position many do not want to be placed in," Napolitano said. "When I was dealing with laws of that ilk, most of the law enforcement agencies in Arizona at that time were opposed to such legislation," she claimed. (h/t: RealClearPolitics)...

Number of federal law enforcement/public safety officials in photo who criticized Arizona's immigration law: 2 (two).

Number of federal law enforcement/public safety officials in photo who have actually read Arizona's immigration law: 0 (zero).

Finally, last add Janet's Reading List - Here's "Big Sister" in living color, admitting she's never read the law which she's been harping on. (Oh, and don't forget, prior to being head of DHS she was governor of...ta da - Arizona!):

The hits just keep coming...

Gut punches, cheap shots, roundhouses, uppercuts, jabs...what do these have to do with this edition of The Bliss Index™? Not much...but they do seem apropos...

Who said the public healthcare option was dead? “Alive! It’s alive! IT’S ALIVE!”

Speaking of healthcare reform…there appears to be a move afoot to make sure tort reform isn’t in the mix. Hmmmm, I wonder who’s pulling those strings?

Ouch! According to a “CNN poll: 52% say Obama doesn't deserve reelection in 2012.” (Some might argue he didn’t deserve election the first time around.)


A little unhappy with the news...

If the White House gets a copy of The Wall Street Journal, they’d be wise to read and learn from this absolutely spot-on piece.

Remember when the cry was, “No nukes!”…? My, how times have changed.

Funny...didn't most of these people play music and raise money for the Obama campaign?

February 17, 2009: A date that will live in infamy.

Add Stimulus: Yeah, it ain’t really working – well, a lot of people aren’t working.

Now playing at an assassination near you: “You Don’t Mess With The Mossad.”


What looks like an ordinary couple on vacation is, in reality, part of a highly trained hit team about to exterminate vermin. (photo via BBC)

Finally, he’s right: “Nobody likes Chris Matthews.” (Heck, I don’t even think Matthews likes Matthews.)


Chris Matthews (bottom right), former speechwriter for Jimmy Carter...nuf said...