Obama martial law

SAM STEIN, “'Moneyball' Godfather Bill James Tackles Politics In Super PAC Age”: “James is the high priest of baseball number-crunching. … ‘If you're outspent in a campaign, what you absolutely cannot do is start a pissing contest, pardon my French,’ James wrote in an email. ‘If you're outspent and you start talking about your opponent being corrupt and senile, you're in BIG trouble, because he's got a lot more guns than you have.’ Instead of going negative, he advised, a candidate should do the exact opposite. ‘Talk about your opponent in the nicest terms that you CAN, in order to take certain weapons away from him … If you're speaking well of your opponent and your opponent is savaging you, there is a chance he comes off looking like an ass and you can win the election.’ … “James suggested a candidate run on a platform distinct from either major party (anti-drug war, pro-gay rights). Or a candidate could … [Read more...] about BUCKEYE BRAWL! OBAMA: ‘You can provide a mandate for the change we need’ . ROMNEY: ‘I know how businesses work’ . Dana Bash, Gov. McDonnell b’days

BREAKING – “Obama invites Paul Ryan to lunch” today -- Glenn Thrush: “ Obama, who has always regarded Ryan as one of the leading intellectual forces of the opposition, has also invited the [Budget] committee's ranking member, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). The idea ... came during an extended phone conversation between Obama and Ryan earlier this week. ... Obama is hoping to enlist a powerful ally in convincing leadership to abandon its insistence on subjecting all future measures on the debt ... and entitlement reform to ‘regular order.’” --“ Obama Tries Charm Offensive to Woo Republicans on Budget Talks,” by Bloomberg’s Lisa Lerer and Kathleen Hunter: “The president broke bread last night with a dozen Republican senators .. Next week, he'll visit Capitol Hill to meet separately with Republicans and Democrats in the Senate. Obama has also spoken by telephone with at least a half- dozen Republican lawmakers over the … [Read more...] about OBAMA CHARM OFFENSIVE goes beyond leadership: ‘last, best chance’ for grand bargain — OFA rejects corporate cash — Betsy Fischer Martin adds new role — Robin Sproul marks 20 years

DRIVING THE DAY – AP’s Mark Sherman: “The Supreme Court [convenes at 10 a.m.] is delivering opinions in two cases that could dramatically alter the rights of gay people across the United States. The issues before the court are California's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which denies to gay Americans who are legally married a range of tax, health and pension benefits … available to married couples.” -- “TWO MOMENTOUS CASES” -- NYT’s Adam Liptak: “It is usually impossible to say when the Supreme Court will announce any particular decision. There is one exception: On the last day of the term, when the court takes action on every remaining case, the process of elimination supplies the answer. The last day of the term is [today].” http://nyti.ms/18fCjd9 Story Continued Below --Drudge banner, “GAY OR NAY?” --PLAYBOOK BEHIND THE CURTAIN: The plaintiffs waiting for … [Read more...] about GAY DAY AT SUPREME COURT — ONUS ON CONGRESS to restore Voting Rights Act teeth — OBAMA BOXES OUT GOP ON CLIMATE — NOW IT’S SEN. ED MARKEY — NEW ‘THIS WEEK’ boss is 30 — BRETT LOPER to AmEx

OBAMA SPEECH BREAKS THROUGH – WSJ 4-col. lead, “Corporate Taxes Put on Table: Obama Backs Overhaul in Exchange for New Spending; GOP Reacts Cautiously,” by John D. McKinnon and Colleen McCain Nelson: “A White House proposal to pair a corporate tax overhaul with new domestic spending elevated the contentious issue of tax policy to the fore in budget negotiations and appeared to give a shot of momentum to changes long supported by some of the largest U.S. companies. The proposal, laid out Tuesday in a speech by President Barack Obama [in Chattanooga], raised the prospect that corporate taxation would now be high on the list of items under discussion as the White House and congressional Republicans negotiate federal spending levels for next year and the terms for raising the debt ceiling, both of which must be resolved within months. … “Obama, in his speech, offered to work with Congress to overhaul business taxes in exchange for a guarantee that a … [Read more...] about OBAMA SPEECH JUICES TAX DEBATE, sidelines entitlements — SUMMERS REMAINS White House favorite for Fed — TED CRUZ relishes digs at GOP — BIG WIN FOR ABC NEWS brings drama to dinnertime news