THURSDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* To its credit, the Obama administration didn’t redact much from the Bush-era OLC torture memos.
* At least 16 Iraqi soldiers were killed outside of Baghdad today by a suicide bomber.
* General Growth Properties, one of the largest mall operators in the nation, filed for bankruptcy today.
* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) unveiled a gay-marriage bill today. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is on board, and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has already voiced his support for gay marriage.
* In related news, Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) has promised to sign a state bill to extend same-sex couples all of the rights and benefits afforded married couples in the state.
* Good: “A Pentagon office responsible for coordinating Defense Department information campaigns overseas has been abolished in an effort by the Obama administration to distance itself from past practices that some military officers called propaganda.”
* By Nate Silver’s count, as many as 262,000 people attended “Tea Party” events yesterday.
* The 10 most disgusting signs from the Tea Baggers. (Don’t look on a weak stomach.)
* Bush’s NSA tried to conduct surveillance on a member of Congress. Which one?
* Limbaugh seemed impressed with Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s (R) secession talk.
* It’s always a little jarring to hear members of Congress make transparent anti-Muslim remarks on national television.
* Sullivan: “Only a day after a massive, sustained and widespread outcry on the bloggy right about the DHS convening a study to worry about right-wing extremism, we get news of illegal and excessive wire-tapping under Bush. Not a single right-wing blog I can find via Memeorandum has commented. If you think the right is sincerely concerned about civil liberties for all in this country, this is not encouraging.”
* Interesting new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project: “Researchers have now confirmed what was evident to most political campaigns last year — more than half of the voting-age public used the Internet last year to find out about, write about and comment on the presidential election.”
* And finally, was a law-abiding ticket holder ejected from Yankee Stadium for leaving his seat to go to the bathroom while “God Bless America” was playing before the game? That’s what one fan alleges in a new lawsuit. Sounds like an interesting case.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
