Miscellany
Morning Must Reads: Accusations
–The format of the presidential debates has been set.
–Widespread drought has decimated the U.S. corn crop and is expected to send food prices soaring next year. To this point, 2012 is the hottest year on record.
–In Wednesday’s episode of political theater, Senate Democrats pass a stand-alone bill to extend the Bush-era tax …
“Who cares about Mitt Romney's tax returns? Secondly, I love the fact that the guy is rich. You've got people trying to make it seem like being rich is bad.”
Morning Must Reads: Building
–On CNBC, former Citi honcho Sandy Weill calls for breaking up the banks.
–After more than a week of out-of-context attacks on “you didn’t build that,” Obama offers a video rebuttal, thereby acknowledging the broadsides are working.
–The President’s narrow edge over the presumptive Republican nominee is slightly larger in the 10 …
“What we hear is gun control is off the table...We refuse to accept that premise.”
Morning Must Reads: Assets
- U.S. poverty headed toward 50-year high.
- Americans consider Romney’s business experience an asset, not a liability, by a two-to-one margin.
- Business owner who took umbrage at Obama’s “you didn’t build that” line got $800,000 in tax-exempt revenue bonds from his state, hundreds of thousands more in federal loans and matching funds (natch).
Morning Must Reads: Arsenal
- Obama’s current approval rating ranks in the 32nd percentile of all presidents in Gallup’s data.
- When do incumbents or challengers outperform the polls?
- Because of the Aurora shooter’s massive arsenal, he was able to shoot 70 people even though his deadliest gun jammed during the attack.
President Obama Mourns Aurora — and Misses an Opportunity
Before the dead were buried, and before the killer appeared in court, President Obama arrived in Aurora, Colo., on Sunday to grieve. He met with families of the victims and spoke eloquently about the sorrows inflicted on the …
Political Pictures of the Week, July 14-20
TIME’s photo editors bring you the best pictures of the past week from the Beltway and beyond.
The Aurora Shooting: Sometimes There’s Nothing Wrong with Politicizing a Tragedy
The telegenic schoolmarms we call pundits are all denouncing the politicization of the tragedy in Aurora, calling out the crass opportunists who would dare to use human suffering to advance their preferred public policy choices. …
Morning Must Reads: Massacre
1412 dead and 50 wounded, including children, at a Batman premiere in Colorado.- Obama was notified early this morning.
Morning Must Reads: Conspiracy
- Romney denies the leading theory among speculators that he paid no taxes in 2009.
- Horse race update: uh huh, still close.
- The case against “you didn’t build that” in context.
Why on Earth Would the Obama Campaign Call Solyndra ‘Successful and Innovative’? Because It Was.
In this cauldron of stupidity we call a presidential campaign, the scandal of the minute is Obama campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith’s description of Solyndra as “successful and innovative.” She actually said Solyndra was …