Fla. imam: No deal to move NYC mosque  —  GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A Florida imam says that no deal has been reached to move the site of a mosque at the site of ground zero in exchange for a Florida minister to call off plans to burn Qurans.  —  Imam Muhammad Musri tells The Associated Press …

Judge declares U.S. military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy openly banning gay service members unconstitutional [updated]  —  A federal judge in Riverside declared the U.S. military's ban on openly gay service members unconstitutional Thursday, saying the “don't ask, don't tell” …

Palin Endorses O'Donnell in Delaware  —  She called into Sean Hannity's radio show to make official what was hinted at in a late Tuesday night retweet: She backs Christine O'Donnell over Mike Castle in Delaware.  As Hannity describes, also on Twitter:

More House Dems balking at ending Bush tax cuts for rich  —  Even as President Obama is mounting a strong stand in favor of letting the Bush tax cuts for the rich expire, and even as he's signaling that it will be a major campaign issue, more and more vulnerable House Dems are bolting in the other direction.

If Obama names Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic base erupts like a volcano and votes  —  Within hours and possibly minutes I expect the president will name Elizabeth Warren to lead the new consumer protection agency, and if he does, the Democratic base will erupt and turn out to vote …

Palin-Beck 9/11 Profiteering Event Promotor Says Rally Date Is Just A Coincidence  —  Prominent conservatives and right-wing groups are making plans to use the 9/11 anniversary this weekend to rake in some cash.  Among them are Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck, who are teaming up for a rally in Anchorage, AK.

Meg Whitman Attacks Jerry Brown With the Ghost of Bill Clinton*  —  Meg Whitman's Republican campaign for governor of California, clearly not done with the decades of video tape they have on Jerry Brown, bring us back to the good old days of the 1992 presidential campaign.

Stem Cell Financing Ban Ends, for Now  —  WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court here ruled Thursday that federal financing of embryonic stem cell research could continue while the court considers a judge's order last month that banned the government from underwriting the work.

What qualifies as unacceptable for a major party nominee?  —  “What qualifies as over the line?  What qualifies as an unacceptable position for a major party nominee to hold in this year's elections?”  —  That quote comes from Rachel Maddow, framing the question very well during this segment …

Marco Rubio Holds Double-Digit Lead in Senate Race  —  GOP candidate even beats Crist among independent voters, poll finds  —  Republican Marco Rubio, garnering surprising strength among independent voters, holds a double-digit lead over his two chief rivals in Florida's U.S. Senate race, a new Sunshine State News Poll reports.

Science scorned … The anti-science strain pervading the right wing in the United States is the last thing the country needs in a time of economic challenge. … “The four corners of deceit: government, academia, science and media.  Those institutions are now corrupt and exist by virtue of deceit.

Taking Responsibility  —  Speaking just now on MSNBC James Zogby made a very good point — and pressed Andrea Mitchell on it.  His point was that sure, this Pastor Jones fool is one guy, who's managed to get worldwide attention for his stunt.  But you cannot separate him, as I noted below …

Favre, Goodell Among NFL Notables Playing Political Football During 2010 Midterms  —  All-universe quarterback Brett Favre will wear Minnesota Vikings purple tonight against the New Orleans Saints during the opening game of the National Football League's 2010 season.

Massive Cache of Iraq War Docs to Be Published by WikiLeaks  —  A massive cache of previously unpublished classified U.S. military documents from the Iraq War is being readied for publication by WikiLeaks, a new report has confirmed.  —  The documents constitute the “biggest leak of military intelligence” …

Fired Up  —  This may win the prize for the worst stump speech ever.  Oh my.  —  Here's the video via Oliver Willis:

New York Times Will Go Out of “Print” Sometime in the Future  —  At a recent conference, The New York Times' publisher and chairman Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., stated that he eventually expects the “Gray Lady” will no longer be a physical newspaper.  —  “We will stop printing the New York Times sometime …

NY mosque investor declines Trump's buyout offer  —  NEW YORK — Donald Trump's offer to buy an investor's stake where a mosque is planned near ground zero is falling flat.  —  Wolodymyr Starosolsky is a lawyer for the investor in the real estate partnership that controls the site.

Forum: Andy Stern's plan to create 12 million new jobs  —  Late last week, I spoke with former SEIU president and current Georgetown fellow/fiscal commission member Andy Stern about hosting a series of pieces laying out different ideas to kick-start job creation.

Eid Mubarak: Blessed Holiday, Service to Humanity  —  What's Your Reaction:  —  Ramadan is the holiest month of the year for Muslims, a lovely combination of spiritual introspection, family gatherings, late night prayers, and social justice identification with those for whom going hungry is not a voluntary choice, but a daily reality.

Lobbyists Rush to Hire G.O.P. Staff Ahead of Vote  —  WASHINGTON — With Democrats in danger of losing control of Congress, some prominent lobbying shops, trade groups and contractors are already moving to bring more Republicans on board to bolster their political fortunes.