THE USUAL SUSPECTS: ABC'S ROSS, STEPHANOLPOULOS POINT TO TEA PARTY IN DARK KNIGHT SHOOTING  —  On Good Morning America, ABC News' Brian Ross and George Stephanolpoulos suggested that the Tea Party might be connected to the mass shootings early this morning in an Aurora, CO theater during …

First Thoughts: Politics takes a back seat  —  Politics takes a back seat to the tragic shooting in Colorado... With so much at stake in this election, the presidential contest has been so small as of late... Latest Romney TV ad hits Obama for “you didn't build that” remark …

Noonan: A Remedial Communication Class  —  Lessons from three recent failures, at the Olympics and on the campaign trail.  —  Thoughts on three recent failures to communicate:  —  In the controversy surrounding the uniforms of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, the problem isn't China.

Defining Moments  —  It's as if President Obama climbed into a tank, put on his helmet, talked about how his foray into Cambodia was seared in his memory, looked at his watch, misspelled “potato” and pardoned Richard Nixon all in the same day.  It's fun to imagine the hand-wringing that must …

Presidential campaign fundraising surpasses $1 billion  —  WASHINGTON - Less than four months until Election Day, the battle for the White House already has crossed the $1 billion mark — as the presidential candidates, political parties and the two super PACs closely aligned with President Obama …

Pathos of the Plutocrat  —  “Let me tell you about the very rich.  They are different from you and me.”  So wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald — and he didn't just mean that they have more money.  What he meant instead, at least in part, was that many of the very rich expect a level of deference …

Say the Magic Word  —  How partisans gave special meaning to Obama's words, “you didn't build that.”  —  President Obama speaking in Roanoke, Va. on July 13.  In the following days, conservatives jumped on his remarks.  —  Why did it take so long for Mitt Romney's campaign to realize …

Taking the Cyberattack Threat Seriously  —  In a future conflict, an adversary unable to match our military supremacy on the battlefield might seek to exploit our computer vulnerabilities here at home.  —  Last month I convened an emergency meeting of my cabinet and top homeland security, intelligence and defense officials.

Morning Jay: Are the Polls Skewed Toward Obama?  —  A topic that inevitably receives a lot of focus during election season is the partisan spread of the major media polls.  Conservatives regularly complain that the polls are tilted against their side, and thus favor the Democrats.  —  They have a point.

GHEI: Crop cronyism  —  Trillion-dollar farm bill is the latest example of what's wrong with our economy  —  Combine a Midwestern drought with pointless ethanol mandates, and the supplies of corn inevitably dwindle, driving prices sky high.  Politicians like Sen. Claire McCaskill …

Legal Battles Erupt Over Tough Voter ID Laws  —  PHILADELPHIA — Four years ago as Viviette Applewhite, now 93, was making her way through her local Acme supermarket, her pocketbook hanging from her shoulder, a thief sliced the bag from its straps.  —  A former hotel housekeeper, Ms. Applewhite …