• They said they decided to reclassify it as similar to tobacco, but we said we weren’t trying to encourage people to smoke marijuana, we were supporting a change in US drug policy.
• “Just Say Now” spokesperson Jane Hamsher • Regarding Facebook’s decision to decline a series of ads by the group that promoted a change in drug policy. (The group, by the way, has a lot of left-leaning luminaries on its board, including Salon’s Glenn Greenwald.) Why? Because they used a marijuana leaf. And they block cigarettes. Yet they don’t block alcohol. Hmm. It’s kinda like the iPhone App Store, eh? source

• Well, that sure makes the nature of yesterday’s protest seem all the more insane. This dude was just walking through and was accosted partly because 1) he was black and 2) he was wearing a hat that looked vaguely Islamic. He was nearly pulled into a fight and was forced to leave. WTF?

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• To our friends visiting Washington on August 28th to take part in Glenn Beck’s no-longer-9/12 protests: Here’s your map. (And some guy also made a dead-serious guide, too.) Visit the monuments, but don’t you dare leave the blue zone, or you’ll be in the red zones that signify D.C. You don’t want to be caught dead in Dupont Circle. It’s the ‘hood. source

• The point remains that part of this game allows you to play the part of the Taliban attacking ISAF troops in the area of central Helmand where British troops are operating.
• A spokesperson for British Defense Secretary Liam Fox • Discussing the new “Medal of Honor” game, which covers the war in Afghanistan and allows you to take the enemy’s side during multiplayer play. You know, like just about every other type of game like this does. The game does not allow you to kill British soldiers, by the way, according to maker Electronic Arts. But Fox’s people stand by the comments, which included his belief that it was “shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban against British soldiers.” For EA’s part, they realized the game might spark a little controversy. source

• $39 million the amount Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott has spent on his campaign; he’s down by nine points in the primary
• $23 million the amount Democratic Senate candidate Jeff Greene spent; he trails Kendrick Meek by a dozen points in the primary source

• A rip from Howard DeanJust remember, Obama staffers: He says this out of love, not hate. Howard Dean, still an icon of progressivism, ripped into Obama’s staff today, saying that they didn’t understand the concerns of regular people in their own party. Ouch.
• Blago explains himselfOn “Fox News Sunday,” the man, the myth and the hair did a pretty terrible job evading Chris Wallace’s questions about how his case could hurt Democrats nationally. We think he should probably stick to awful reality TV instead.
• Fact check? Not reallyWhile the guy they have on here certainly makes some good points about Franklin Graham’s rant on CNN the other day, the fact of the matter is that Boston University professor Stephen Prothero is analyzing, not “fact-checking.”

• The solution isn’t just to paralyze government. Vote for us because you couldn’t possibly vote for them? That’s not enough. It may win some seats, but it won’t take you where you want to be.
• Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio • Appearing to make a break from the Modern Tea Party script. Why’s that? Well, uh, Charlie Crist went independent and turned Rubio’s plan to be a hard-line conservative candidate upside down. So now he has to say things like this to appease the moderates that Crist is going to win over in the election because he didn’t give in. Remember, guys, the Marco Rubio you’re voting for isn’t the one who says things like this. It’s the one who gave this speech at CPAC. He only moderated himself out of necessity. source

• 500+ people against Park51 showed up for the protests today
• 200+ people for Park51 showed up; it was contentious (to say the least) source

• Now that the hype machine is dead, maybe she can get her old job back. After a solid two weeks in the news cycle (thanks Breitbart!), Shirley Sherrod sounded a little reluctant to do anything with her old employers. But that may change. She reportedly plans to meet with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about a new job with the USDA. It’d be fascinating to see if, after all that, she actually took the job. Good thing she’s out of the news cycle and can focus on her career again. (Thanks “Ground Zero Mosque”!) source