Today's Times
- President Obama continues to hold a tight grip on the support of women and Mitt Romney has a sizable lead among white, working-class voters, Jim Rutenberg and Allison Kopicki report. Those findings, contained in the latest batch of Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News swing state polls, highlight the stubborn divisions of this year's presidential race among two of the most important voting groups in the most hotly contested states.
- Mr. Romney accused President Obama of gutting the work requirement at the heart of the federal welfare law, Trip Gabriel writes. The attack on Tuesday drew an all-out denial from the White House and the Obama campaign, which accused Mr. Romney of warping the issue and of hypocrisy, because as Massachusetts governor, he urged similar flexibility in the federal law.
- Though he is not the candidate who once ran an Olympics, President Obama is using the Games to combat the perception that he is somehow not American enough, Peter Baker reports. One of the perks of president is being the country's official cheerleader every four years, but it is also carefully considered politics.
- President Obama is an avid consumer of political news and commentary, and though it has played a crucial role in helping make him a national star, he believes the news media has had a role in frustrating his ambition to change the terms of the country's political discussion, Amy Chozick writes.
Around the Web
- Senator Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, is expected to deliver more than $500,000 to the Romney campaign, showing the presumptive presidential nominee that he can pull his weight in fund-raising if chosen to join him on the ticket, Politico reports.
- Sandra Fluke, the law student who was berated by Rush Limbaugh over the new contraception mandate, will campaign alongside Pre sident Obama in Denver, The Hill reports.
