Phillip M. Bailey

The escalating violence in the Middle East and has sparked a series of pro-Palestinian protests in Louisville.

Last week, the Israeli government launched airstrikes that killed top Hamas military leaders in response to rocket launches that killed three civilians, and the conflict has approached full-scale war.

Several local peace groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine and Louisville Committee for Peace in the Middle East, have pointed out that over 90 Palestinian civilians have been killed thus far and that densely populated areas are being targeted by the Israeli military.

At least two protests have been held in Louisville, including one Monday at the University of Louisville.

Pro-Palestinian activist Ibrahim Imam has helped organize the local demonstrations. He says residents should be aware that the U.S. gives Israel $3 billion in foreign aid, and are therefore complicit in the country's military actions.

"I want people to realize that the crimes that are being committed are being committed against Palestinians," he says. "The Palestinians are the victims in this, and I want people to look deeply into this and not buy the cliche that are being fed to them. And Israel should not be rewarded for its aggression at the tune of $15 million a day."

UCLA Professor Robin D. G. Kelley is a historian and social justice advocate, and a bit of a jazz scholar.

The award-winning author was in Louisville this week for the annual Anne Braden Memorial Lecture Series to discuss what he believes is a war on youth through punitive economic and education policies.

Kelley is also an outspoken critic of those who worship the free-market in American politics, and he says neo-liberal ideology—which rose to prominence in the 1990s—poses a threat to all progressive movements.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, has extended congratulations to President Obama on his re-election, but argues the White House needs to moderate and that voters have not given the president a mandate.

Mr. Obama defeated Republican nominee Mitt Romney on Tuesday in the popular vote and soundly in the Electoral College, winning most of the battleground states. It was two years ago when McConnell said that his main objective was to ensure that Mr. Obama would be a one-term president.

But now McConnell says Republicans are eager to hear from the president on how to resolve problems such as the looming fiscal cliff, but he

warns Mr. Obama should propose a way for both parties to work together.

"Now it’s time for the president to propose solutions that actually have a chance of passing the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and a closely-divided Senate, step up to the plate on the challenges of the moment, and deliver in a way that he did not in his first four years in office," he says.

With Rep. Ben Chandler's loss last night to Republican challenger Andy Barr, John Yarmuth of Louisville is now the only Democrat in Kentucky's federal delegation.

But he's now working on plans to bring more of his colleagues from the commonwealth to Washington after the 2014 election.

“I welcome the opportunity to be the spokesperson for a national policy that espouses a support for the middle class in the country," Yarmuth said in an interview with WFPL News.

Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly is touting his victory over Republican state Treasurer Richard Mourdock in the Indiana Senate race as a score for moderation.

Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth has won re-election by 30 percentage points over Republican challenger Brooks Wicker in the Third Congressional District race.

Wicker had struggled throughout the race to raise money for the campaign and didn’t run any TV ads. The race was never considered close, and observers argue the wide margin this year makes Yarmuth tougher to beat in future elections.

Yarmuth says he hopes the message of the race is that he listens to constituents but is able to explain how policies in Washington affect their lives.

In the race for the Louisville Metro Council District 26 seat, Democratic incumbent Brent Ackerson and Republican challenger Sarah Provancher are trading jabs in the final days of the campaign.

The two candidates released a series of mailers this weekend, including attack ads that questioned each other’s qualifications.

Ackerson’s mailer asks voters: "Would you elect somone who doesn't even vote?" It alleges that Provancher has only voted in 20 percent of elections since 2006, and missed last year's gubernatorial contest altogether.

Provancher said that like most Americans she does not have a perfect voting record on each election, but she is running to improve neighborhoods and city services.

On Election Day eve, the rumors are swirling as to who will challenge Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in the 2014 race.

According to The Huffington Post's Howard Fineman, the Kentucky Democrats with money to spend want actress-activist Ashley Judd -- and Kentucky native -- to take a shot at the GOP leader.

Watch:

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is now running robo calls for Republican Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin.

"I know Todd Akin will stand up and support the Constitution," says Paul. "Todd Akin has stood up to the Washington establishment and I know that when he gets to Washington he'll stand with me and vote to repeal Obamcare."

Check it out (via Politico):

In a joint interview with Democratic Leader Harry Reid and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell that CBS News described as "exasperating," 60 Minutes took on the gridlock in the U.S. Senate.

The piece noted that the Senate was once the chamber of Congress where deals were made, but that in recent years the ability to find common ground has been lost.

Reid said that compromise is not something the Senate does anyone, highlighting McConnell’s comment after the 2010 mid-terms, where he said that the chief GOP goal was to limit President Obama to one-term.

McConnell added that the Senate has met the president halfway on a number of bills , but acknowledged the difficulty in forging bipartisan measures.