The Beginning of the End of the Ground Zero Mosque  —  A column (h/t, MEMRI) in the August 16, 2010 London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat by Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid, director of Al-Arabiya TV and the paper's former editor, “A House of Worship or a Symbol of Destruction?” should mean the end of plans for a mosque near Ground Zero.

Guilty on just 1 count, Blago taunts U.S. attorney  —  Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse after the verdict in his corruption trial today.  (Michael Tercha / Tribune)  —  After a federal jury convicted him of just one count — lying to the FBI …

Obama, the one-term president  —  Q: Will Barack Obama be a one-term president?  —  A: Yes, he might last that long.  —  Honest to goodness, the man just does not get it.  He might be forced to pull a Palin and resign before his first term is over.  He could go off and write his memoirs and build his presidential library.

BARBRA STREISAND SKIPS DEMOCRATIC FUNDRAISER  —  Barbra Streisand and Jeffrey Katzenberg were no-shows at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser the two were to co-host Monday night at the Los Angeles home of television producer John Wells.

Top Ten Problems With Emily List's Ewok Ad  —  10. Too much boo-hoo, not enough yub-yub  —  9. Silly costumes sort of remind people that these women have to play dress up to be Mama Grizzlies, doesn't it?  —  8. One time seeing furries yiffing and scritching in a fur-pile on CSI was plenty for me

A Tea Party Manifesto  —  The movement is not seeking a junior partnership with the Republican Party.  It is aiming for a hostile takeover.  —  On Feb. 9, 2009, Mary Rakovich, a recently laid-off automotive engineer, set out for a convention center in Fort Myers, Fla. with protest signs …

America Has Disgraced Itself  —  Conservative fury over the “ground zero” mosque shows that when it comes to the battle for freedom and religious liberty, the U.S. has thrown in the towel.  —  The president is furiously backtracking; Republicans are clawing over each other to demonize Muslims; Democrats are dead silent.

Obama Bombing Iran?  Don't Be Surprised  —  This post is part of our forum on Jeffrey Goldberg's September cover story detailing the prospects and implications of an Israeli strike against Iran.  Follow the debate here.  —  Jeffrey Goldberg's main subject is an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear program …

RGA condemns Republican's latest ad  —  Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott is out with a new ad Tuesday that has been condemned by the Republican Governors Association.  —  (CNN) - Florida's Republican gubernatorial primary keeps getting hotter.

The Web Is Dead.  Long Live the Internet  —  Sources: Cisco estimates based on CAIDA publications, Andrew Odlyzko  —  Two decades after its birth, the World Wide Web is in decline, as simpler, sleeker services — think apps — are less about the searching and more about the getting.

Justice Dept. threatens to sue Ariz. sheriff Arpaio in civil rights inquiry  —  A federal investigation of a controversial Arizona sheriff known for tough immigration enforcement has intensified in recent days, escalating the conflict between the Obama administration and officials in the border state.

9th Circuit finds a right to lie  —  In a major First Amendment decision Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit struck down a federal law making it a crime to falsely claim a military honor or decoration.  —  In a 2-1 ruling, the appeals court panel found that the poetically named Stolen Valor Act is unconstitutional.

GOP WI Sen. candidate Ron Johnson claims ‘sunspot activity’ is the cause of extreme weather trends.  —  Yesterday, Wisconsin businessman and U.S. Senate candidate for the Republican Party Ron Johnson gave a wide-ranging interview to the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.

Gingrich went too far, says Buchanan  —  Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, left, is being criticized by conservative stalwart Pat Buchanan.  —  (CNN) - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's latest comments regarding the controversial Islamic center near the site …

Toomey moves ahead in PA-Sen race  —  With Joe Sestak's victory in the Democratic primary and the poll bump that came with it now three months in the rear view mirror, Pat Toomey has taken a 45-36 lead in the Pennsylvania Senate race.  That's a big change from the tie PPP saw in a June survey …