memeorandum: Obama, Romney campaigns clash on Labor Day over whether Americans are better off (Washington Post)

9:50 AM ET, September 4, 2012

Top Items:

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

President says Romney camp running against ‘fictional’ Obama — President Obama accused Republicans of distorting his record, claiming that Mitt Romney was running against a “fictional Barack Obama.” — Republicans “have spent a lot of time creating a fictional Barack Obama who is supposedly taking …

Catalina Camia / USA Today:

Michelle Obama tops 5 things to watch at the DNC — CHARLOTTE — Democrats kick off their three-day convention celebrating all things Barack Obama with remarks tonight from his more popular and better half: First lady Michelle Obama. — USA TODAY is providing full coverage of the Democratic National Convention online and in print.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Pirate's Cove and Taegan Goddard's …

Charlie Cook / NationalJournal.com:

Obama's Enthusiasm Deficit Could Soon Haunt Him — Just as Mitt Romney's challenge last week at the Republican National Convention was to connect on a personal level with voters and make them comfortable with the idea of him sitting in the Oval Office, President Obama's challenge this week …

Discussion: Questions and Observations, americanthinker.com, Connecting.the.Dots and Power Line

Susan Page / USA Today:
Interview: Obama says GOP drawing ‘a fictional Barack Obama’

Discussion: CNN, Online NewsHour and Associated Press

Michael Barone / Washington Examiner:
Jewish Democrats on the defensive

Discussion: Israel Matzav

Elizabeth Hartfield / ABCNEWS:
Democrats Keynote Speaker Is San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro

Discussion: Politico, National Review and Univision News Tumblr

Jamie Weinstein / The Daily Caller: Blast from the past: Dukakis to attack Romney's gubernatorial record at DNC

David Maraniss / Washington Post:
Obama finds key asset in Bill Clinton's support

Discussion: ABCNEWS, ABCNEWS, Taylor Marsh, The Daily Beast, BuzzFeed, Daily Kos, New York Times, New York Magazine and New Yorker

Paul Bedard / Washington Examiner:
Reporters scolded by Democratic garbage police

Discussion: Ed Driscoll

Byron Tau / Politico:
DNC chair: GOP diversity ‘superficial’

Discussion: CNN, Weasel Zippers and The Hill

Daniel Strauss / The Hill:

Paul Ryan: Janesville story was about 'Obama's broken promises' — Paul Ryan continued to defend his Republican National Committee speech that critics said falsely accused President Obama of promising to keep a General Motors plant in Janesville, Wisconsin, Ryan's home district, from closing.

Discussion: CNN and Politico

Kenneth P. Vogel / Politico:

Source: Mitt camp claims $100M Aug. — Mitt Romney raised $100 million in August, his campaign told bundlers last week in Tampa. — Romney campaign finance director Spencer Zwick revealed the tally during an event with top fundraisers on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention, according to a source who was present.

Discussion: Questions and Observations, First Read and Outside the Beltway

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:

Madeleine Albright: 'I Can't Understand Why Any Woman Would Want To Vote For Mitt Romney' … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Ann Romney, DNC Convention, Madeleine Albright, RNC Convention, Romney Campaign, Secretary Albright, Women's Voices, Albright, Mitt Romney 2012, Romney Gender Gap …

Discussion: GOP 12, Althouse, Truthdig, Washington Examiner and National Review

Sheldon Alberts / The Hill:

Hill Poll: Voters say second term undeserved, country is worse off — A majority of voters believe the country is worse off today than it was four years ago and that President Obama does not deserve reelection, according to a new poll for The Hill. — Fifty-two percent of likely voters …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, GOP 12, Pirate's Cove, The Rightnewz, UrbanGrounds, Politico and Jammie Wearing Fools

KKTV-TV:

11 News Anchor Dianne Derby Interviews President Obama — 11 News Interview President Obama & Romney Sr. Campaign Advisor — It's President Obama's second trip to Colorado within a week and I had a chance to ask him a few questions before he took the stage at CU-Boulder.

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Obama gives himself ‘incomplete’ grade on economic policy

Discussion: Jammie Wearing Fools

Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:

Democrats Say U.S. Is Better Off Than Four Years Ago — CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A day after fumbling a predictable and straightforward question posed by Mitt Romney last week — are Americans better off than they were four years ago — the Obama campaign provided a response on Monday …

Discussion: CBS News, Obama Isn't Working and The Caucus

CEPR:
“Are Americans Better Off Today Than They Were Four Years Ago?” The Question That Exposes Incompetent Reporters

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, Paul Krugman, National Review, Daily Kos and Crooks and Liars

Washington Post:
Obama, Romney campaigns clash on Labor Day over whether Americans are better off

Discussion: The Hill, ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo, USA Today, News Desk, The Fix, PERRspectives and Fox News Insider

Boston Herald:

Indian delegates seek sit-down with Elizabeth Warren — Tribal activist:'Shame on her' — CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Elizabeth Warren can't escape her Cherokee heritage controversy even at this gathering of loyal Democrats, as a contingent of skeptical American Indian delegates …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and Jammie Wearing Fools

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion: Video: Unaccountable - Elizabeth Warren and the Cherokee

Julie Pace / Associated Press:

First Lady's Focus Is Drawing Contrast With Romney — Michelle Obama rarely mentions Mitt Romney by name. But everything she says during this presidential campaign is meant to draw a contrast between her husband and his Republican challenger. — She implies that Romney …

Discussion: Politico and New York Times

Associated Press:
Obama, Romney Visits to Gulf Highlight Differences

Discussion: CNN

Daniel J. Mitchell / Townhall.com:

Johnny Depp Flees France Over Tax Hikes — I'm a bad person. I know it's not nice to take joy in the misery of others, but I can't help but smile when I see a story about bad news in France. — In my defense, this is not because of hostility to French people, who have always been friendly to me.

Discussion: Riehl World News

Tim Mak / Politico:

Report: Hillary Clinton aide voting Romney — Top Clinton confidant Douglas Band has said that he will vote for Republican Mitt Romney, according to a report in The New Yorker, apparently a move to strengthen Hillary Clinton's position in the Democratic Party.

Discussion: National Review, Betsy's Page, The Daily Caller, No More Mister Nice Blog, Weasel Zippers and Riehl World News

Directorblue / Doug Ross:

That Roar You Hear in the Distance May Be a Tidal Wave Building — I truly believe that the American people — all races, all creeds, all colors, all religions, all income levels — are marshaling together to try to save this Republic in November — first and foremost, by rejecting the Cloward-Piven Democrat Party.

Discussion: The Mahablog, The Gateway Pundit, Nice Deb and Israel Matzav

Politico:

Right rallies for ‘Empty Chair Day’ — The right rallied on Labor Day to celebrate “National Empty Chair Day,” a show of solidarity with Clint Eastwood after his rambling address to an invisible President Barack Obama at the Republican National Convention last week.

Henry J. Gomez / Plain Dealer:
AFSCME President (and Cleveland native) Lee Saunders goes Eastwooding with Ohio Democrats

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and protein wisdom

Associated Press:

Dems bring in crowds by the busload to fill stadium for Obama speech — Sept. 2, 2012: A man walks near a sand sculpture created in the likeness of President Obama in downtown Charlotte, N.C.AP — CHARLOTTE, N.C. - College students from across North Carolina will arrive in Charlotte by the busload.