memeorandum: White House Starts a Mini-War in Africa (David Dayen/Firedoglake)

9:00 PM ET, October 15, 2011

Top Items:

Zaid Jilani / ThinkProgress:

Times Square Is Now Occupied — Hundreds of people from Occupy Wall Street have flooded Times Square, in a major escalation by demonstrators. Here's a picture of the protests there: — Watch a livestream of the events in Times Square here.

Adrian Chen / Gawker:

Meet the Guy Who Snitched on Occupy Wall Street to the FBI and NYPD — The Occupy Wall Street protests have been going on for a month. And it seems the FBI and NYPD have had help tracking protesters' moves thanks to a conservative computer security expert who gained access …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Political Carnival, Guardian, Firedoglake, msnbc.com and Big Government

New York Times:

In Private Conversation, Wall Street Is More Critical of Protesters — Publicly, bankers say they understand the anger at Wall Street — but believe they are misunderstood by the protesters camped on their doorstep. — But when they speak privately, it is often a different story.

Discussion: Business Insider, Rod Dreher, Runnin' Scared, Prairie Weather, Guardian, New York Magazine and The Reality-Based Community

ZIP / Weasel Zippers:
American Nazi Party Declares Its Full Support For Occupy Wall Street's “Courage” …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Fire Andrea Mitchell! and Atlas Shrugs

Terence Chea / Associated Press:
Rupert Murdoch heckled at Calif. education forum

Discussion: Mediaite and Gawker

Karla Adam / Washington Post:
Occupy Wall Street protests go global

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Philip Pullella / Reuters:
Wall Street protests go global; riots in Rome

Discussion: Boing Boing, New York Magazine, Corrente and The Raw Story

Matthew Yglesias / ThinkProgress:

Rush Limbaugh Endorses The Lord's Resistance Army — I don't have a really strong view on whether or not it's advisable to dispatch a small number of US combat troops to help fight the Lord's Resistance Army. My instinct is to be skeptical. I want to see less military intervention, not more.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Hullabaloo and Outside the Beltway

David Dayen / Firedoglake:

White House Starts a Mini-War in Africa — Joseph Kony Wanted Poster (image: Enough Project) — I guess Leon Panetta's admonition against reducing the US military presence had some foreknowledge. The President, in a letter to Congress, just acknowledged that he deployed approximately 100 combat forces …

Discussion: TBogg, No More Mister Nice Blog, Fire Andrea Mitchell!, Jamie Dupree Washington …, Shakesville and ABCNEWS

Blake Hounshell / FP Passport:

Rush Limbaugh on Lord's Resistance Army: “Obama Invades Uganda, Targets Christians” — Photo: A former abductee of the Lord's Resistance Army — Yesterday, when President Obama announced that the United States would be sending 100 special operations forces to help Uganda battle the Lord's Resistance Army …

Discussion: CNN and American Power

Max Fisher / The Atlantic Online:
Why Is Obama Sending Troops Against the Lord's Resistance Army?

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative, Right Wing News, Outside the Beltway and Political Mojo

Rush Limbaugh:
Obama Invades Uganda, Targets Christians

Discussion: American Power, Booman Tribune, No More Mister Nice Blog, United States Senator …, Outside the Beltway, The Reality-Based Community, Balloon Juice, Little Green Footballs and FP Passport

Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:

Will Herman Cain's Sunday sit-down be the new GOP front-runner's star turn? — Herman Cain's presidential bid faces a big test Sunday as the newly minted front-runner takes center-stage on NBC's “Meet the Press.” — The appearance will mark the first time he has appeared …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Booman Tribune, The Other McCain and CNN

Edward Wyatt / The Caucus:

Cain Proposes Electrified Border Fence — Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said Saturday that part of his immigration policy would be to build an electrified fence on the country's border with Mexico that could kill people trying to enter the country illegally.

Discussion: New York Times, JustOneMinute and Michelle Malkin

Julian Pecquet / Ballot Box:
Top-tier Cain pulls in second-tier cash

Discussion: The Politico, American Spectator and The Other McCain

Associated Press:

US abandons plans to keep troops in Iraq next year — BAGHDAD (AP) — The Associated Press has learned that the Obama administration is abandoning plans to keep U.S. troops in Iraq past a year-end withdrawal deadline. — A senior administration official in Washington confirmed Saturday …

Discussion: Hot Air, The Political Carnival and Gothamist

The Politico: W.H. rebuts Iraq troops report

Andrew / Statistical Modeling …:

The most clueless political column ever—I think this Easterbrook dude has the journalistic equivalent of “tenure” — I don't know when I've seen political writing quote so misinformed as this. It's a bizarre mixture of cliches, non-sequitors, and outright mistakes.

Discussion: Balloon Juice and Weasel Zippers

Marooned In Marin:

Al Shaprton & Unions' Rally For Obama's “Jobs” Bill Masquerades As MLK Memorial — I went down to the Washington Monument this morning to check out the big Al Sharpton / big labor unions “Resist We Much” rally, which was essentially a Support Obama's [Jobs ]Tax Increases Bill masquerading …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and JammieWearingFool

Julie Mason / The Politico:

Daley: Press ‘carry water’ for pols — President Obama's remark to Ed Henry of Fox News on Thursday that, “I didn't know you were the spokesperson for Mitt Romney” set off heated discussions this week around the White House briefing room. — Henry declined comment on the matter.

Discussion: NewsBusters.org blogs, Weasel Zippers, Crooks and Liars and CNBC