Top Items:

If He Could, Bin Laden Would Bomb the Cordoba Initiative — This seems like such an obvious point, but it is apparently not obvious to the many people who oppose the Cordoba Initiative's planned mosque in lower Manhattan, so let me state it as clearly as possible: The Cordoba Initiative …
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Lieberman: Pause Islamic center project near ground zero — Developers should “put the brakes” on a planned mosque near the site of the 9/11 attacks in New York City, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday. — Lieberman, an independent senator who caucuses with Democrats …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, iOwnTheWorld.com, Tablet Magazine, Weasel Zippers, Liberty Central, TPMDC and Weekly Standard


Mosque Near Ground Zero Clears Key Hurdle — After a protracted battle that set off a national debate over freedom of religion, a Muslim center and mosque to be built two blocks from ground zero surmounted a final hurdle on Tuesday. — The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted 9 …

Michael Bloomberg delivers stirring defense of mosque — Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has emerged as the unlikely but passionate defender of the planned Muslim community center near ground zero, today traveled to Governors Island off the tip of Lower Manhattan to deliver a stirring plea …
Discussion:
Will Wilkinson and Little Green Footballs


Mayor Bloomberg Stands Up For Mosque — Mayor Bloomberg, Council Speaker Christine Quinn and 10 religious leaders of various faiths journeyed to Governors Island this afternoon to show their support for the proposed mosque and community center near the World Trade Center site.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Gawker, Salon, Weasel Zippers and New York Magazine

COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE, FOOT-SHOOTING BIGOTRY.... I don't often agree …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice

What's Anthony Weiner's position on Ground Zero mosque?
Discussion:
Weekly Standard and Salon

Reid abandons oil-spill, energy legislation — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has yanked consideration of legislation responding to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill for the summer without floor debate or votes this week. — “It's a sad day when you can't find a handful of Republicans …
Discussion:
The Note, Wonk Room, CNN, MyDD, The Page, National Review and AmSpecBlog
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Harry Reid holds narrow edge in Nevada: Reuters-Ipsos poll — (Reuters) - Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, one of America's most powerful politicians, holds a narrow edge among likely voters in his re-election bid in recession-lashed Nevada, a Reuters-Ipsos poll said on Tuesday.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Washington Wire, The Page, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and TPMDC

Senate Democrats punt on spill bill
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and RedState


Bristol Palin to Levi Johnston: 'It's Over' — And just like that, they were off again. “It's over. I broke up with him,” Bristol Palin tells PEOPLE exclusively of her second try at an engagement to Levi Johnston, father of her 19-month-old son Tripp. — Palin, 19, says the relationship soured …


McCain Faces Tough Questions About GOP Push To Repeal 14th Amendment — The GOP push to change the Constitution to eliminate so-called birthright citizenship is already causing problems for some of its own members. Case in point: John McCain. — In the final moments of a morning press conference …
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There They Go Again: Two Senators Continue False and Misleading Attacks on Recovery Act — This morning two senators—John McCain and Tom Coburn—released their third report critiquing 100 Recovery Act projects. And just like the last two, this one was an inaccurate and misleading attack …
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, Washington Monthly, Politics Daily, Los Angeles Times, The Hill and The New Republic

Sanders: GOP calls to review 14th Amendment are ‘100 percent political’
Discussion:
CNN, neo-neocon, TalkLeft, Weasel Zippers and The Washington Independent

Did She Just Say That Out Loud? — During yesterday's Fox News Channel's special elections show on primaries and midterms around the country, Sharron Angle had the following exchange with an incredulous Carl Cameron about her media strategy so far: … Angle then goes on to repeat a statement …
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SHARRON ANGLE SAID WHAT?.... Sharron Angle (R), the extremist …
Discussion:
Hullabaloo and Crooks and Liars


Aerial Photograph of Location of Incident Along Lebanese Border, 3 — Earlier today, an IDF force performing routine pre-coordinated maintenance in Israeli territory was attacked in a provocative act by the Lebanese Armed Forces. This map reflects the exact location of the incident …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, New York Times, msnbc.com, RubinReports, Pajamas Media, Israel Matzav, Israellycool, Elder of Ziyon and The Jawa Report
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Behind the numbers of Prop. 8 — It's crucial to understand the data about Prop. 8's victory before launching another attempt to legalize gay marriage. — Immediately after Proposition 8 passed, many who supported same-sex marriage tried to make sense of the results. A set of assumptions gained wide acceptance.
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Wonk Room, The Political Carnival and The Volokh Conspiracy
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Race And Gay Marriage In Perspective
Discussion:
The League of Ordinary … and The Other McCain


The Republican Who Gives Me Hope — Because, regardless of whether you agree or disagree, he's being intellectually honest about the debt and entitlements, even if he is far too utopian in seeing a viable political majority for his vision. And because he seems unafraid to put real, adult fiscal conservatism to the people:
Discussion:
Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog! and Washington Post


Solar plasma aurora storm to hit Earth tomorrow! — Burst sunspot could see Northern Lights over UK, US — Astroboffins are warning that a mighty “eruption” of superhot plasma has been blasted out of the Sun directly at the Earth. The plasma cloud is expected to reach Earth beginning tomorrow …
Discussion:
Don Surber, Left Coast Rebel and The Reaction

The Other Side of Shirley Sherrod — Imagine farm workers doing back breaking labor in the sweltering sun, sprayed with pesticides and paid less than minimum wage. Imagine the United Farm Workers called in to defend these laborers against such exploitation by management.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Riehl World View, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Confederate Yankee


Contradicting His Earlier Denial, Rubio Admits 'Tax Cuts Don't Pay For Themselves' — Republicans have spent the last two weeks trying to create a fantasy world in which — despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary — tax cuts inevitably pay for themselves through economic growth.
Discussion:
Wonk Room, CBS News and Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!
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F.B.I. Challenges Wikipedia Over Use of Its Seal — The Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken on everyone from Al Capone to John Dillinger to the Unabomber. Its latest adversary: Wikipedia. — The bureau wrote a letter in July to the Wikimedia Foundation, the parent organization of Wikipedia …
Discussion:
Boing Boing, Outside the Beltway, Wonkette, Indecision Forever and Gawker, more at Techmeme »
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Another censure resolution for Lindsey Graham — Sen. Lindsey Graham was censured by yet another GOP state county party Monday night. — Washington (CNN) - Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who often finds himself out of step with the most conservative elements of his party …
Discussion:
The Hill


I Got My Correction Thanks to the The New York Times — Now Who's Next? — Buried at the bottom of a story published the other day, the New York Times printed a curious little correction: … Let's go over that again: — The Times is admitting that there is absolutely no evidence …
Discussion:
JOSHUAPUNDIT, Tammy Bruce and Mediaite


Confessions of a Tea Party Casualty — GOP Rep. Bob Inglis slams Republican demagoguery, bemoans anti-Semitic tea party conspiracy nonsense, decries Sarah Palin's ignorance, and looks for a job. — Post Comment — It was the middle of a tough primary contest, and Rep. Bob Inglis …
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Gawker, Think Progress, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, MyDD and Indecision Forever

An Immigrant's View of the ‘Immigration Problem’ — A major U.S. newspaper has asked immigrant readers to relate their immigration stories and experiences and, in particular, how they have been affected by illegal immigration—in 250 words or fewer. — As one of those immigrants—with a story to tell—I have responded.


One Progressive's Nat'l Scheme To Burn Confederate Flags At Tea Party Rallies — An anonymous liberal blogger in Washington state hopes that progressives across the country will show up to tea party rallies on September 12 and — if it's legal — light up a confederate flag so tea partiers can watch it burn.
Discussion:
DaTechguy's Blog, Open Left, Weasel Zippers, First Draft, The Daily Caller, The Political Carnival and Jesus' General


A Mailroom Mix-Up That Could Cost a Life — Sullivan & Cromwell is a law firm with glittering offices in a dozen cities around the world, and some of its partners charge more than $1,000 an hour. The firm's paying clients, at least, demand impeccable work.
Discussion:
Law Blog, Above the Law and SCOTUSblog

How Newsweek Blew It — Ninety-one-year-old audio tycoon Sidney Harman's purchase of Newsweek yesterday was greeted with internal cheers. But a look inside the magazine's financial records, leaked to The Daily Beast, reveals its new crisis. — Yesterday's purchase of a 77-year-old magazine …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, DailyFinance, National Review, Yahoo! News, AmSpecBlog, Balloon Juice, The Other McCain and Newsweek, more at Mediagazer »