memeorandum: US soldier killed in Iraq attack (Martin Chulov/Guardian)

7:35 PM ET, August 22, 2010

Top Items:

Erick Erickson / RedState:

By Faith: I Am Proud of Franklin Graham … Much has been made this week of Franklin Graham's comments both about the Ground Zero Mosque and Barack Obama's religion. It has been more than hilarious to watch all the news networks, newspapers, and pundits try to explain Graham's comments.

Discussion: Mediaite, The Atlantic Online, Firedoglake, Sadly, No! and Informed Comment

Dean Schabner / ABCNEWS:

‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Opponents, Supporters Turn Out to Demonstrate — Daisy Khan, Organizer, Says Opposition Is ‘Like Metastasized Antisemitism’ — Opponents of a planned Islamic community center two blocks from Ground Zero in New York shouted “Enough is enough” at supporters of the project …

Discussion: Reuters, Raw Story and Tammy Bruce

Joshua Miller / ABCNEWS:

Moving Islamic Center ‘Not’ On the Table for Now, Backer Says — Daisy Khan Says ‘Stakeholders’ Must be Consulted First — In an exclusive interview on “This Week,” Daisy Khan, one of the main backers of the mosque and Islamic community center near ground zero, told Christiane Amanpour …

Discussion: American Power, JammieWearingFool and NewsReal Blog

Thomas Catan / Wall Street Journal:
Mosque Planner Takes On Critics

Discussion: Don Surber and Weasel Zippers

Scott Wilson / Washington Post:

Republicans question whether President Obama deserves a vacation — VINEYARD HAVEN, MASS. — For the second straight year, the first family has landed on this island of quaint seaside towns, second homes and working farms for a late-summer getaway. — But this year, more so than last …

Discussion: The Caucus, Outside the Beltway and Washington Monthly

Mike Lillis / The Hill:

Howard Dean: Obama aides need to spend ‘some time outside Washington’ — Howard Dean, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said Sunday that President Obama's political advisers are out of touch with average Americans and need to “spend some time outside Washington.”

Discussion: Weekly Standard and Beltway Confidential

Dan Balz / Washington Post:

Reagan's first term offers measuring stick for Obama — Throughout this long year, President Obama's advisers have sometimes looked to Ronald Reagan for comparison and inspiration. If the Gipper could survive a deep recession, low approval ratings and an adverse midterm election …

Discussion: Macsmind, Scared Monkeys and Taylor Marsh

Frank Rich / New York Times:

How Fox Betrayed Petraeus — THE “ground zero mosque,” as you may well know by now, is not at ground zero. It's not a mosque but an Islamic cultural center containing a prayer room. It's not going to determine President Obama's political future or the elections of 2010 or 2012.

Discussion: Don Surber, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Mahablog, Stop The ACLU, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mediaite, JustOneMinute, Balloon Juice, Left Coast Rebel, Firedoglake and The Huffington Post

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Going Mad in Herds — At the Bunch of Grapes bookstore on Martha's Vineyard, the sojourning President Obama bought a few books, including “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. It was for his daughter, but it may have also conjured a sweet memory for the beleaguered president.

Discussion: Althouse and Prairie Weather

msnbc.com:

Iran unveils ‘ambassador of death’ bomber — But unmanned aircraft has ‘message of peace,’ President Ahmadinejad says — TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Sunday inaugurated the country's first domestically built long-range unmanned bomber aircraft, calling it an “ambassador of death” to Iran's enemies.

Discussion: Don Surber, Weasel Zippers, Fausta's Blog and Jihad Watch

New York Times:
Iran Opens Its First Nuclear Power Plant

Discussion: Truthdig, Hot Air and Fausta's Blog

Martin Chulov / Guardian:

US soldier killed in Iraq attack — Attack comes amid growing concern that security will deteriorate further after spate of bombings and shootings — An American soldier was killed by a rocket strike near Basra today, in the first US fatality since the last combat troops left Iraq.

Discussion: Philly.com, Newshoggers.com and Raw Story

Jared Allen / The Hill:

Blagojevich: Will call Emanuel, Reid, Menendez in retrial — Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Sunday that he would call a host of high-profile witnesses — including White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel — to testify if he is retried on corruption charges.

Discussion: The Politico, CNN and The Jawa Report

Karoli / Crooks and Liars:

GOP NY Governor Candidate Paladino Argues for Welfare Camps — There was a time in this country where the poor went to poorhouses, where they were treated like chattel and had no real opportunity to pull themselves out of poverty. Progress changed all that.

Discussion: Hullabaloo and Gawker