The initial round of reactions to yesterday’s stem cell ruling is in, and it does appear that the decision represents a potentially seismic shift in the legal and political terrain for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research — and just in time for the election. In fact, the ruling may very well make things more restrictive than they were under President George W. Bush. Christina Bellantoni reports.

The Daily Show debates: Is Fox News evil or stupid? Watch.

For your reading pleasure, we’ve posted the official complaint on our favorite 20-something international arms dealer. Like he says, “Once a gun runner, always a gun runner.”

Colbert: I take Sen. McConnell “at his word” when he says he’s not a human-turtle hybrid. Watch.

Rick Santorum says Imam Rauf, the man at the center of the mosque controversy, is a “jihadist”, just not a “violent jihadist”.

Bush insider Karen Hughes says she has no recollection of sending Imam Rauf on missions abroad to spread the good news about moderate Islam in the USA.

How does it play exactly if you’re running for senator and part of your platform is that people shouldn’t be able to vote for their senators. Colorado’s Ken Buck is trying to find out.

RNC Chief Michael Steele tells Spanish language channel Univision that Arizona’s anti-immigration law doesn’t represent the GOP.

Throughout the controversy over the Cordoba House / Ground Zero Mosque / Park51 project, there’s been a steady backdrift of criticism suggesting that, quite apart from the ideological controversies, the project just hasn’t been well run. Some say that the organizers have had a poor media strategy or, frankly, have had close to none; or that they didn’t canvass the idea well with the rest of the Muslim community in New York City.

Others point out that whatever you think about the controversy, which in some respects has become global, there’s hardly even a project. What you have really is a developer who owns a building and a Imam with a non-profit and a concept. While the crazies are going on about the project being funded by the Global Anti-American Jihad, Inc., the truth is that it actually isn’t funded at all. They haven’t started raising money yet. These points have been made in various ways in the Times, Politico and the Post. And here’s a post by Hussein Rashid at religiondispatches.org that covers some of the same ground. Read More

Tea Party Leader calls for Americanism-based Cordoba House center in Mecca.