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.

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.

Obama raises a quick $1 million — and some L.A. commuter ire  —  During his trip west, the president also pitches his efforts to create clean-energy jobs.  —  President Obama leaves Air Force One upon his arrival at Los Angeles International Airport.  (Jewel Samad, AFP/Getty Images / August 16, 2010)

Gov. Chris Christie approves N.J. law removing offensive references to people with disabilities  —  TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie today made it illegal for state laws or rules to identify anyone with a developmental or intellectual disability as “mentally retarded” by signing legislation sought …

GOP reveals midterm blueprint  —  The GOP blueprint for winning control of the House is rapidly coming into focus, with the National Republican Congressional Committee readying a $22 million TV ad blitz aimed at a handful of powerful, long-serving incumbents and several dozen of the most junior members of the Democratic majority.

Auto Workers Chase Out UAW Executives  —  From the irony proof Communists at the World Socialist Website: … Isn't it hilarious to see the shoe on the other foot.  The national UAW are ‘the bosses’ now that they effectively own General Motors.  Now they are the ones riding the backs of the proletariat.

Voters Back Tough Steps to Reduce Budget Deficit  —  RICHMOND, Va.—Frustrated voters, fixing on the $1.5 trillion federal deficit as a symbol of Washington's paralysis, appear increasingly willing to take drastic steps to address the red ink.  —  Leonard Anderson, 56 years old, a Richmond …

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.

GOP Shows Strongest Positioning Yet in 2010 Vote Test  —  Leads Democrats by 50% to 43% in latest update on congressional voting preferences  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Gallup's latest update on 2010 congressional voting preferences finds 50% of registered voters saying they would vote …

Ray Bradbury hates big government: ‘Our country is in need of a revolution’  —  Ray Bradbury is mad at President Obama, but it's not about the economy, the war or the plan to a construct a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City.  —  “He should be announcing that we should go back to the moon …

Activists fight on despite Prop 8 stay  —  (CNN) — An appeals court ruling temporarily blocking same-sex marriages from resuming in California drew strong reactions from opponents and supporters of the state's controversial 2008 referendum on the issue.  —  Couples hoping to marry rushed …

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 …

‘Mosque’ debate is a red herring  —  By 2012, our national debt will be larger than the entire U.S. economy, according to the International Monetary Fund.  So what's on the front burner in Washington these days?  Zoning issues in lower Manhattan!  —  Is it OK to put a Muslim community center close to Ground Zero?

Israel has ‘8 days’ to hit Iran nuclear site: Bolton  —  WASHINGTON (AFP) - Israel has “eight days” to launch a military strike against Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility and stop Tehran from acquiring a functioning atomic plant, a former US envoy to the UN has said.

Economy Led to Cuts in Use of Health Care  —  WASHINGTON — The economic crisis in the United States has reduced the use of routine medical care, and the cutbacks here are much deeper than in countries with universal health care systems, researchers say in a new report.

I Am An Unlicensed Barber  —  At Karl Smith's suggestion can we talk for a moment about the regulation of barber shops?  The way I've been getting my hair cut for the past six months or so is that I bought a pair of hair clippers and I do it myself.  I normally trim about twice a week …

White House Directive: Erect Signs at All Stimulus Projects as 'Symbol of President Obama's Commitment to American People'  —  (CNSNews.com) - Federal contractors receiving money for projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)—the $862 billion economic stimulus law …

Radio, RIAA: mandatory FM radio in cell phones is the future  —  Music labels and radio broadcasters can't agree on much, including whether radio should be forced to turn over hundreds of millions of dollars a year to pay for the music it plays.  But the two sides can agree on this …

McCain blames press for new image  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Monday blamed the “Eastern press” for planting the idea he has changed his positions on key issues in recent months.  —  McCain dismissed the notion that he has tacked to the right on matters such as immigration and climate change …