WEDNESDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* A suicide bomber killed eight Americans in Afghanistan today, at an attack at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost province.
* Anbar, Iraq: “Twin bombings — one an assassination attempt against an Iraqi provincial governor — killed 23 people and wounded the governor Wednesday in the worst violence in months to hit the western province that was once al-Qaida’s top stronghold in Iraq.”
* Getting a sense of the intelligence breakdown that allowed Abdulmutallab onto that flight.
* Yemen: “Yemeni security forces stormed an al-Qaida hide-out Wednesday in a principal militant stronghold in the country’s west, setting off clashes, officials said, as a security chief vowed to fight the group’s powerful local branch until it was eliminated.”
* That’s a lot of transparency: “Fulfilling one of the transparency goals of President Obama’s administration, the White House today released more than 25,000 records of visitors who came through the gates at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this year.”
* On a related note, Obama also declared today that “no information may remain classified indefinitely.”
* Great story on why the House Committee on Financial Services can be so dysfunctional.
* I’m beginning to wonder if Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) is getting dumber by the day.
* The implosion of the far-right Washington Times continues apace.
* Fox News still wants to see a war against Iran.
* Good tip: “Just because green jobs are growing doesn’t necessarily mean it helps to have a green major.”
* Brad DeLong: “[M]y grade for the Obama economic team for its first year would definitely be: exceeds expectations.”
* And in 2003, the Dixie Chicks were excoriated for criticizing George W. Bush at a concert overseas. Six years later, Ted Nugent trashed President Obama at an event overseas, but will likely face far less pushback — because few remember who Ted Nugent even is. (Remember “Cat Scratch Fever”? That was released in 1977.)
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
