memeorandum: Iran's President Unveils New Long-Range Drone Aircraft (New York Times)

9:50 AM ET, August 23, 2010

Top Items:

Tensions Over Mosque Rise After Comments — WASHINGTON—A leader of a planned Muslim community center near Manhattan's Ground Zero compared opposition to the project to the persecution of Jews, in comments that could add to the controversy over the center's proposed site.

Discussion: Commentary, Taylor Marsh, Comments from Left Field, Left Coast Rebel, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller, Don Surber and ABCNEWS

Jonathan Weisman / Wall Street Journal:

Protests, Rhetoric Feed Jihadists' Fire — Islamic radicals are seizing on protests against a planned Islamic community center near Manhattan's Ground Zero and anti-Muslim rhetoric elsewhere as a propaganda opportunity and are stepping up anti-U.S. chatter and threats on their websites.

Discussion: New York Times, Jihad Watch and Winds Of Jihad

Michael Barbaro / New York Times:

Rick Lazio Uses 9/11 and Islamic Center in Ads — At an office complex in the faded industrial town of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., recently, Rick A. Lazio, the former congressman from Long Island who is running for governor, had taken a series of standard jabs against political dysfunction in Albany …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, cab drollery and New York Magazine

Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Proposed Muslim Center Draws Opposing Protests

Discussion: NY1.com, NY Daily News, TalkLeft, Politics Daily and CBS New York

Nicholas D. Kristof / New York Times:
Taking Bin Laden's Side

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Don Surber, justoneminute.typepad.com and Stop The ACLU

Dean Schabner / ABCNEWS:
‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Opponents, Supporters Turn Out to Demonstrate

Discussion: POWIP, Reuters, American Power and Raw Story

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Now That's Rich — We need to pinch pennies these days. Don't you know we have a budget deficit? For months that has been the word from Republicans and conservative Democrats, who have rejected every suggestion that we do more to avoid deep cuts in public services and help the ailing economy.

Discussion: Think Progress, The Mahablog, Clusterstock, MyDD, Prairie Weather and Wonk Room

Russell Berman / The Hill:

House Democrats to push party small-business agenda this week — House Democrats are planning a coordinated effort to highlight the party's small-business agenda this week, hoping to build momentum for stalled jobs legislation while hammering Republicans for obstructionism.

Discussion: New York Times, msnbc.com and Prairie Weather

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:

Poll numbers in 1994, a bad year for Democrats, don't bode well for them in 2010 — Is it deja vu all over again for Democrats? — Some neutral observers and senior strategists within the party have begun to believe that the national political environment is not only similar to what they saw in 1994 …

Lou Cannon / Politics Daily:
2010 Elections: Big Potential for Republican Governor, Redistricting Wins

Discussion: Betsy's Page

David Streitfeld / New York Times:

Real Estate's Gold Rush Seems Gone for Good — Housing will eventually recover from its great swoon. But many real estate experts now believe that home ownership will never again yield rewards like those enjoyed in the second half of the 20th century, when houses not only provided shelter but also a plump nest egg.

Discussion: Modeled Behavior, The Big Picture and nancynall.com

Kristi Keck / CNN:

10 things Obama must do in 10 weeks — (CNN) — President Obama is facing criticism that his message has gone off track at a crucial time for his party and administration. With the midterm elections just 10 weeks away, the president's approval ratings are at their lowest.

Discussion: Pirate's Cove

New York Times:

Iran's President Unveils New Long-Range Drone Aircraft — TEHRAN — Iran unveiled a long-range unmanned bomber on Sunday, the latest in a series of announcements about new Iranian military advances as tensions rise over Tehran's nuclear program. — Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad …

Nasser Karimi / Associated Press:
Iran inaugurates nation's first unmanned bomber

Discussion: Danger Room, Gawker and iOwnTheWorld.com

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
As U.S. moves out of Iraq, military leaders keep an eye on Iran

Discussion: Reuters

Pamela Geller / Atlas Shrugs:

Max Blumenthal Lies Again About Geller — Max Blumenthal, notorious Jew hater, is lying, slandering and making up racist propaganda against me again. I have no idea what this rally is. I have no idea who these people are. I have no idea who organized this rally.

Discussion: The Other McCain, iOwnTheWorld.com, American Power, Jihad Watch and Balloon Juice

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Howard Dean: I can't shake the feeling that Obama's advisors are out of touch with the country — Skip ahead to 5:00 for the key bit, which has me at a loss. On the one hand, this is the second time in four days that Dean-o is wildly off-message from the White House, which of course …

Discussion: CNN, Commentary and Gateway Pundit

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Howard Dean: Obama aides need to spend ‘some time outside Washington’

Discussion: The Politico, CNN, The Foundry, Weekly Standard, Beltway Confidential and Washington Post

Julian Pecquet / The Hill:

Insurance agents fight for survival in world after health reform — Insurance agents and brokers, afraid of being rendered irrelevant in the post-health reform world of simplified insurance shopping, are fighting for their very survival. — The agents want lawmakers' and regulators' support …

Discussion: Wonk Room and The Politico

Robert Stacy McCain / The Other McCain:

VIDEO: Democrat Jane Harman Admits, ‘Ahmadinejad Was . . . My Boyfriend!’ — Profiting from the sale of dual-use technology to Iran? Rep. Jane Harman (D-Transylvania) might have gotten away with this monstrous scheme, had it not been for Young Mattie Fein:

Discussion: Doug Ross, Pajamas Media and sisu

Ethan Bronner / New York Times:

Gaza Mall Seeks to Make Statement of Resolve — GAZA CITY — Colognes by Hugo Boss, Dunhill and Givenchy line the shelves of the cosmetics shop. One of the two women's clothing stores features a window mannequin in a hot pink T-shirt and low-slung jeans. In the supermarket freezer …

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Soccer Dad, Israpundit and Israel Matzav