- The White House is now open to a short-term debt ceiling extension of “a few days” if it helps secure a larger deal.
- Norm Ornstein shakes his fist at Congress.
- The Gang of Six plans raises far more taxes than the Obama-Boehner grand bargain because it assumes top-tier Bush tax cuts will be allowed to expire.
- Wall Street makes its own debt ceiling contingency plans.
- Romney continues to be cautious, appearing in little more than a few strategic op-eds and skid-row tours.
- Bachmann gets doctor’s note.
- Pawlenty looking desperate: His campaign now says he only needs to place “better than sixth or seventh,” in Iowa’s Ames straw poll.
- His latest ad, “American Comeback,” asks voters to “join me and prove the experts wrong.”
- And Weigel comes up with some new slogans for him.
