Here's an odd little revelation from the run-up to the trial of accused terrorist plotters Ahmed Ferhani and Mohamed Mamdouh: The NYPD had an undercover officer planted at a demonstration showing support for Cordoba House, the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque."

Since Congress is preparing to head into its August recess just as soon as this debt ceiling deal wraps up, how are we, the political news consumers, going to get our kicks for the next month? Hmm. Eh, what the hell, let's start talking about the "Ground Zero" "Mosque" again.

Park51, the proposed Islamic community center and mosque in downtown Manhattan, has applied for federally-funded grants, prompting shrill cries that the "Ground Zero mosque" is looking for a taxpayer handout.

Anti-abortion activist Randall Terry is upping the ante on his as-yet widely unknown campaign against Islam by creating a video instructing Tea Party leaders how to pull their own Koran-tearing stunts and garner media attention.

At least one dingbat in the country is still talking about the proposed Islamic community center blocks from Ground Zero: Renee Elders, Republican congressional candidate from North Carolina. In this ad, she explains the history of "victory mosques."

Fast Company's Mark Borden tweets this terrifying photo of a rented, decommissioned missile that "Ground Zero" "Mosque" protesters are driving around the proposed Islamic community center site today, and perhaps indefinitely. Take that, "productive interfaith dialogue" prospects!

Senator Orrin Hatch, the conservative Utah Republican, has come out in support of the Park 51 Muslim community center, popularly known as the "Ground Zero Mosque." The best part? He's doing so in stronger terms than anyone besides Mayor Bloomberg:

On Tuesday, New York City Mayor-King Michael Bloomberg passionately defended the downtown Islamic community center that turned into this year's "August Crazy." It was even better than the first speech he gave about the issue. Honest! Here are some highlights:

While the "Ground Zero Mosque" site is two blocks away from Ground Zero, rap mogul Russell Simmons' apartment is across the street! This week he put various religious symbols in his windows to support religious freedom. Another pic with Simmons, below.

According to media hardman Michael Wolff, the anti-"Ground Zero Mosque" push from the News Corp-owned New York Post and Fox News is a reflection of the company's internal power struggles. And also, CEO Rupert Murdoch's "primitive, weird, reactionary" racism.

While not quite comparable to "We've Got to Stop the Mosque At Ground Zero," this latest anti-mosque jam, "SALT IN THE WOUND," is still a profound piece of Real Americana. But what's that image that appears at :39?

It's unsurprising that Rep. Ron Paul, Congress' defiant libertarian, would be appalled at his fellow Republicans' demagoguery over an Islamic center in Lower Manhattan. Now that he's made his disgust apparent, though, how does it reflect on his candidate-son, Rand?

Both supporters and opponents of the "Ground Zero" "Mosque"—a proposed community center—held rallies in lower Manhattan today. Can you guess which side started chanting "no mosque here" at a black guy wandering through the crowd?

America's beloved Miss USA, Rima Fakih — the first Muslim to hold that title — will hit the airwaves tonight to give her opinion on Cordoba House: it's too close to Ground Zero! This complicates everything.

Missouri Senate candidate Roy Blunt has taken down this web video attacking opponent Robin Carnahan on the "Controversial Ground Zero Mosque" with smoldering World Trade Center destruction imagery. This building in Lower Manhattan is Missouri's top campaign issue, of course.

Pamela Geller, one of the most prominent opponents of the proposed Islamic center near the former World Trade Center, says the treatment of the South Park creators is a factor in her quest to stop the center from being built.

Vermont Governor Howard Dean, who heroically condemned the Iraq war when everyone loved it, has now condemned the "Ground Zero mosque" as a "real affront to people who lost their lives." To be fair, he just likes condemning things.

There's more "Ground Zero mosque" news today! Here's Prop 8 lawyer Ted Olson, whose wife Barbara was killed on 9/11 (while he was Solicitor General), on the Islamic community center saga: "I think probably the president was right about this."

Now that Barack Obama has opened his mouth on Cordoba House—aka Park51, aka (but not really) the "Ground Zero Mosque"—the ugly story won't be going away for a while. So, what's the latest?

Apparently, a bunch of the activists opposing the Park51 community center—you know, the "Ground Zero Mosque" that's neither at Ground Zero nor a mosque—are planning on holding an anti-"mosque" rally on 9/11. How appropriate of them!