ARLINGTON, VA -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Monday afternoon that he's “very comfortable” not having a speaking role at the Republican National Committee convention next month.

“I personally am very comfortable not giving a speech because I think frankly, there is a whole new generation of candidates out there and people who represent the future,” Gingrich said following a quick event at Belmont TV on behalf of Mitt Romney. “But we haven’t talked about that yet.”

Gingrich -- who addressed reporters in the same city where he suspended his presidential campaign nearly three months ago -- promised continuously during the final weeks of his failed presidential run that he would push for a “conservative platform.”

No official announcement has been made regarding the former House speaker’s role in Tampa. but one spot is sure at the Democratic National Committee Convention in early September: Former President Bill Clinton will address the crowd and Gingrich is pleased.

“I think that will be a terrific opportunity for those of us who served with President Clinton to point out that Barack Obama is no Bill Clinton,” Gingrich said. (That said, Gingrich presided as the speaker of the GOP-controlled House that voted to impeach Clinton during the late 1990s.)

While Monday’s event just outside of Washington, DC in the battleground state of Virginia was billed by the Romney campaign as a “we did build this event,” the questions asked of Gingrich focused on a variety of other topics, including the GOP nominee’s tax returns.

Gingrich, who was a leading voice calling for Mitt Romney to release his tax returns during the primaries, today said “people are not going to take that as a major issue.”

“I’ve tried to raise the issue but frankly, I think the results of the primary also indicated that the American voters are pretty comfortable that this is a guy who has had good accountants, good lawyers, he has obeyed the law,” he said.

Asked to weigh in on the developing dialogue from Romney’s trip overseas – specifically the GOP nominee’s remarks in Jerusalem that drew a link between culture and GDP in Israel and Palestinian territories.

“I think that the whole issue of how do you encourage an economy based on trust and faith, how do you encourage the rule of law when you have Hamas and Hezbollah and Fatah and I think there is a legitimate question to say maybe these are antithetical to being prosperous. I find it fascinating that nobody wants to ask the question, why is Hong Kong prosperous? Why is Singapore prosperous? Why is Israel prosperous? Why can't we apply this same prosperity to Gaza? Why can't we apply this same prosperity to the West Bank?” Gingrich said.

The Democratic Party is set to include a pro-gay-marriage plank in their party convention platform, according to a Democratic source. 

The language was included as the first step in the platform process. The platform drafting committee met in Minneapolis this past weekend. Next, the full platform committee will be consider it in Detroit in two weeks and then, it will go to the convention delegates in Charlotte for final approval.

No specific language of the platform plank was made available.

The Washington Blade, which broke the news, also reported -- and the source confirms -- that it was approved unanimously and "the platform approved on Sunday not only backs marriage equality, but also rejects DOMA and has positive language with regard to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act."

The move does not come as a complete surprise, considering President Obama's public endorsement of same-sex marriage back in May.

*** UPDATE *** NBC's Domenico Montanaro notes: The National Republican Senatorial Committee points to a Wall Street Journal report in May which notes Democratic Senate candidates who have not backed the president's position on gay marriage.

"The below Wall Street Journal article from this past May includes the names of a number of Democratic Senators and candidates that you might consider asking for their reaction to this news today…," the NRSC notes in an email.

"Sen. Jon Tester in Montana, Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri and former Gov. Tim Kaine in Virginia have declined to support same-sex marriage, even as Mr. Obama's backing has galvanized the party's liberal wing and activist ranks.  Even senators facing less-competitive races—Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Bill Nelson of Florida—have sought distance from Mr. Obama on same-sex marriage."

Democrats maintain a 53-47 advantage in the Senate, including two Independents who caucus with the Democrats. Control is up for grabs this fall with Democrats on defense in many races.

GDANSK, POLAND -- Mitt Romney received a warm welcome here on Monday during the final stop of his foreign tour, winning strong praise from one of Poland's most influential political figures that seemed to border on an endorsement.

Former Polish president and Nobel Peace prize recipient Lech Walesa, on whose invitation Romney has chosen to visit Eastern European ally of the United States told Romney, today he wished him "to be successful," but stopped short of saying he was endorsing Romney.

Jason Reed / Reuters

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney meets with former Polish President Lech Walesa in Gdansk, Poland, July 30.

"I wish you to be successful because this success is needed to the United States, of course, but to Europe and the rest of the world, too. Gov Romney, get your success -- be successful!" Walesa said to Romney during a photo spray at the conclusion of a meeting between the two men.

Walesa's conservative politics align on many respects with the U.S. Republican Party, and he remains a highly respected figure here after helping lead Poland out from behind the Iron Curtain.

The supportive words for Romney, who also met with current prime minister Donald Tusk, were welcome good news for Romney after his campaign was plagued by charges of insensitivity after making remarks at a fundraiser suggesting that wide economic discrepancies between the Palestinian and Israeli people are the result of cutural differences between the two peoples.

"And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things," Romney said at a fundraiser during a monologue extolling Israeli prosperity.

That quote in particular, which was circulated in an Associated Press story, prompted strong pushback from the Romney campaign.

Romney's chief campaign strategist, Stu Stevens, called the story "completely manufactured" and said the Romney campaign was never given a chance to respond to allegations of racism. Stevens said the AP turned an economic observation into a perceived slight, and argued that Romney has previously made similar observations in his books and speeches.

Romney spent his additional time in Poland afternoon visiting two sites of special significance in the U.S.-Polish alliance: the Westerplatte memorial, marking the first shots fired in the second World War, and the Solidarity monument, to Poland's anti-communist efforts.

Poland's long-standing military ties to the United States played a part in the Romney campaign's decision to visit here. This morning, a senior adviser told reporters Poland's contribution of the third-most troops of any nation to the U.S.-led mission in Afghanistan was a sacrifice Romney could be expected to note in a planned speech tomorrow in Warsaw.

TAMPA, Fla. -- It’s government, “not cultures” that define the difference between Israelis and Palestinians. That’s according to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who appeared to differ with presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney as he tried to defend him.

“I am sure that Gov. Romney was not talking about difference in cultures, or difference in anybody superior or inferior,” said McCain, a chief Romney foreign policy surrogate, today during a news conference after an event here with Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). “What I’m sure Gov. Romney was talking was that the Israeli economy has grown and prospered in a dramatic fashion. And unfortunately, the Palestinians have not had that same economic development.

“And that goes to the leadership of the Palestinians. Everybody knows that Yasser Arafat was corrupt. And we also know that the Palestinian people have not been blessed with the kind of government that has lower regulations, less taxes, entrepreneurship, which have caused the Israeli economy to be one of the world’s most successful. It has nothing to do with cultures. It has nothing to do with superiority or inferiority. But facts of the booming Israeli economy has to do with the kind of government that the Israeli people have freely and democratically elected which has given them a very prosperous country.”

McCain noted he had not seen or heard Romney’s remarks, but that didn’t stop him from defending what Romney meant.

“I’m sure I know what he was saying, though,” McCain continued. “And what he was saying, though, is that the Israelis have had a government with less regulation, lower taxes, which has allowed them to have a strong and prosperous economy. Unfortunately, when you go over to many of the Palestinian areas, you do not see that same kind of economic development. Governments matter.”

Yesterday at a fundraiser in Israel, Romney said:

“[A]as you come here and you see the GDP per capita for instance in Israel which is about 21,000 dollars and you compare that with the GDP per capita just across the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority which is more like 10,000 dollars per capita you notice a dramatic, stark difference in economic vitality.”

Then paraphrasing a book by a Harvard professor called, “The Wealth and Poverty of Nations,” he added:

“[I]f you could learn anything from the economic history of the world it’s this: culture makes all the difference. Culture makes all the difference. And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things.”

The Associated Press picked up on the comments and noted: “Romney said some economic histories have theorized that ‘culture makes all the difference’.” And that “Palestinian reaction to Romney was swift and pointed.”

It quoted Saeb Erekat, a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who said: "It is a racist statement and this man doesn't realize that the Palestinian economy cannot reach its potential because there is an Israeli occupation.”

And AP added:

“While speaking to U.S. audiences, Romney often highlights culture as a key to economic success and emphasizes the power of the American entrepreneurial spirit compared to the values of other countries. But his decision to highlight cultural differences in a region where such differences have helped fuel violence for generations raises new questions about the former businessman's diplomacy skills.”

The Romney campaign called for a correction from the AP, because of "his remarks being grossly mischaracterized," it claimed.

The campaign also passed around the broader context of his speech – and highlighted that he had made similar remarks in Chicago in March while talking about other countries.

But that context does not appear to change the meaning of what Romney was saying. And he certainly did not make the case that government was a reason for the differences. (That context, sent by the campaign, is copied at the end of this post in full.)

*** UPDATE: NBC's Garrett Haake, traveling with the campaign, reports from Gdansk, Poland, that senior Romney campaign strategist Stuart Stevens told reporters he takes issue with the story, calling it "completely manufactured," "sloppy," and even "invented."

He said the quote from Romney "revolves around an observation the governor has made in his book" and "mentioned in big speeches." The story, he claims, "never should have been written, was not handled responsibly and the Romney campaign was never called for comment. The economic situations for prosperity are interesting to study and important. "

He added that the comments were "not in any way an attempt to slight the Palestinians, and everyone knows that." And he even goes so far as to say: "It is regrettable whenever a story is handled improperly and I think we all agree on that." ***

--

McCain also said he agreed with Romney that the American embassy in Israel should be moved to Jerusalem.

“Absolutely. I agree that the embassy should be moved to Jerusalem, and I think that those who are strong supporters of Israel should take note that the President of the United States has failed to take a position on the embassy location,” McCain said. “And it should be in Jerusalem and that has been the subject of numerous resolutions by the United States Congress over the years.”

The American embassy – and every other country's in the world – is currently located in Tel Aviv. At the heart of the long-running peace process dispute between Israelis and Palestinians is where a Palestinian capital would be. Palestinians would like it to be centered in East Jerusalem.

Here are the remarks, passed along by the Romney campaign:

Gov. Romney: “I was thinking this morning as I prepared to come into this room of a discussion I had across the country in the United States about my perceptions about differences between countries. And as you come here and you see the GDP per capita for instance in Israel which is about 21,000 dollars and you compare that with the GDP per capita just across the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority which is more like 10,000 dollars per capita you notice a dramatic, stark difference in economic vitality. And that is also between other countries that are near or next to each other. Chile and Ecuador, Mexico and the United States. I noted that part of my interest when I used to be in the world of business is I would travel to different countries was to understand why there were such enormous disparities in the economic success of various countries. I read a number of books on the topic. One, that is widely acclaimed, is by someone named Jared Diamond called ‘Guns, Germs and Steel,’ which basically says the physical characteristics of the land account for the differences in the success of the people that live there. There is iron ore on the land and so forth. And you look at Israel and you say you have a hard time suggesting that all of the natural resources on the land could account for all the accomplishment of the people here. And likewise other nations that are next door to each other have very similar, in some cases, geographic elements. But then there was a book written by a former Harvard professor named ‘The Wealth and Poverty of Nations.’ And in this book Dr. Landes describes differences that have existed—particularly among the great civilizations that grew and why they grew and why they became great and those that declined and why they declined. And after about 500 pages of this lifelong analysis—this had been his study for his entire life—and he’s in his early 70s at this point, he says this, he says, if you could learn anything from the economic history of the world it’s this: culture makes all the difference. Culture makes all the difference. And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things. One, I recognize the hand of providence in selecting this place. I’m told in a Sunday school class I attended— I think my son Tagg was teaching the class. He’s not here. I look around to see. Of course he’s not here. He was in London. He taught a class in which he was describing the concern on the part of some of the Jews that left Egypt to come to the promised land, that in the promised land was down the River Nile, that would provide the essential water they had enjoyed in Egypt. They came here recognizing that they must be relied upon, themselves and the arm of God to provide rain from the sky. And this therefore represented a sign of faith and a show of faith to come here. That this is a people that has long recognized the purpose in this place and in their lives that is greater than themselves and their own particular interests, but a purpose of accomplishment and caring and building and serving. There’s also something very unusual about the people of this place. And Dan Senor-- And Dan, I saw him this morning, I don’t know where he is, he’s probably out twisting someone’s arm—There’s Dan Senor, co-author of ‘Start-up Nation,’ described-- If you haven’t read the book, you really should-- Described why it is Israel is the leading nation for start-ups in the world. And why businesses one after the other tend to start up in this place. And he goes through some of the cultural elements that have led Israel to become a nation that has begun so many businesses and so many enterprises and that is becomes so successful.” (Mitt Romney, Remarks at Fundraiser, Israel, 7/30/12)

                ***       

Gov. Romney: “Now as you know, this November we face a -- an important decision. Our choice will be not just one of party and personality. This election is going to be about principle. Our economic freedom will be on the ballot. And I intend to offer the American people a choice. I spent 25 years in business, by the way as you probably know. My business used to take me to different parts of the world and -- and I was often struck by enormous differences between different nations that in many cases were living right next door to each other. I -- I was interested in the differences in their prosperity and how it was that nations so close to each other in terms of geography, could be so different in terms of prosperity.  I mean look at Mexico and the United States, Israel and Egypt, Chile and Ecuador. And -- and I read a number of books that purported to explain the differences. One of them by Jared Diamond called "Guns, Germs and Steel", argued that the difference was due largely to the minerals in the ground and the -- the physical characteristics, natural resources associated with different countries. But that didn't explain it all, just a part. And then I happened to read a book by Professor David Landes called, "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations." And in that he -- he traces the history of all the great civilizations on the earth. Those that have come and gone.  And after about 500 pages of scholarly analysis he concludes with -- with this observation. He says, "If we learn anything from the economic -- the history of economic development it is this, culture makes all the difference." Culture makes all the difference. Culture. What is it about America's culture that's made us the greatest economic power in the history of the earth? And of course there are a lot of things that come to mind. Our work ethic. Our appreciation for -- for education. The -- the willingness of Americans to take risk. Our commitment to honor contract oath, our family devotion. Our -- our commitment to purpose greater than ourselves. Our patriotism.” (Mitt Romney, Remarks, Chicago, IL, 3/19/12)

Restore Our Future is going up with an ad featuring Olympic athletes touting how Mitt Romney turned around the 2002 Olympic games.

“Mitt Romney brought a huge sense of hope,” says famed figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi in the ad. Yamaguchi won a gold medal in the 1992 and was an ambassador for the 2002 games. She also donated the maximum to Romney's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns.

“Mitt gets things done,” says Jimmy Shea, who won the 2002 gold medal in Skeleton. “He changed my life.”

“It meant a lot to athletes like myself to be able to realize our dreams,” says speed-skating gold medalist Derek Parra.

The only other pro-Romney ad run this general election has also been by Restore Our Future. Americans continue to have a more negative than positive impression of the former Massachusetts governor, according to the NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll. Just 35 percent viewed him favorably in the latest poll out this month, while 40 percent viewed him negatively.

Here's the script:

Kristi Yamaguchi: As an athlete, you're training your whole life for that one moment at the Olympics.

Narrator: But America's Winter Olympics were mired in scandal and deficits. They turned to Mitt Romney.

Fraser Bullock: He faced a 400 million dollar budget deficit and turned that around to a hundred million dollar surplus.

Narrator: And after September 11th, Romney delivered the Olympics safe and secure.

Jimmy Shea: Mitt gets things done. He changed my life.

Kristi Yamaguchi: Mitt Romney brought a huge sense of hope.

Derek Parra: Mitt allowed athletes like myself to be able to realize our dreams.

Narrator: Restore our Future is responsible for the content of this message.

Recapping Romney’s stop in Israel… It wasn’t London, but there were still some snafus for Team Romney there… Romney touches down in Poland… And he admits he’s been audited by the IRS… Romney’s transparency problem… What he said at that fundraiser with Sheldon Adelson… Bill Clinton’s big role at the Democratic convention… Obama camp stops its PA ad spending, for now… And Cruz-ing to victory: Will Ted Cruz beat David Dewhurst in tomorrow’s TX SEN run-off?

Jason Reed / Reuters

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is pictured in front of the Old City of Jerusalem as he delivers foreign policy remarks at Mishkenot Sha'ananim, July 29, 2012.

*** Recapping Romney’s Israel stop: Fortunately for Mitt Romney and his campaign, the visit to Israel went much smoother than the stop in Great Britain. But there were still some snafus (more on them below). In his speech yesterday in Jerusalem, Romney checked all the boxes. He embraced Israel. “We’re part of the great fellowship of democracies. We speak the same language of freedom and justice, and the right of every person to live in peace.” He talked tough on Iran. “We must not delude ourselves into thinking that containment is an option. We must lead the effort to prevent Iran from building and possessing nuclear weapons capability.” And he even made a subtle dig at President Obama, referring to the tension between the Obama administration and Israel’s conservative Netanyahu government. “Diplomatic distance in public between our nations emboldens Israel's adversaries.” But what Romney DIDN’T SAY was almost as striking -- if not more so. Not once did he utter the phrase “peace process” nor the words “Palestine” or “Palestinian,” and that also means he never talked about or made the case for a two-state solution. Was the speech for anyone other than base Republicans? This trip to Israel felt like a primary trip, not one aimed at the general election.

*** More snafus: As mentioned above, Team Romney still had some problems while in Israel. For starters, a top adviser on Israel matters -- Dan Senor -- suggested that Romney was set to support a unilateral strike by Israel on Iran, the New York Times noted. “If Israel has to take action on its own, the governor would respect that decision,” Senor said in a briefing before Romney’s speech yesterday. But Romney later walked back Senor’s remarks, telling ABC: “I think I’ll use my own terms in that regard and that is that I recognize the right of Israel to defend itself.” Also, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Romney canceling his meeting with an Israeli opposition party figure upset folks there. And a Palestinian official criticized Romney for asserting that Jerusalem is Israel’s true capital, the AP said. “The Palestinians want to establish a capital in east Jerusalem, captured and annexed by Israel in 1967. Most of the world, including the U.S., does not recognize the annexation. The U.S. and others keep their embassies in Tel Aviv.” What’s more the same Palestinian official also criticized Romney for suggesting that Israel’s culture is superior to the Palestinians’. So it wasn’t England, but Romney was still 1) making folks mad, and 2) having to walk back remarks.

*** Arrival in Poland: Romney and the media following him have touched down in Poland, the final leg of the candidate’s weeklong overseas trip. On today’s agenda in Gdansk: Romney participates in photo sprays with Polish PM Donald Tusk (at 10:15 am ET) and former President Lech Walesa (at 11:20 am ET). Later, he visits a World War II memorial and Solidarity Monument Site.

*** Romney admits he’s been audited by the IRS: Romney made some other -- call it accidental -- news yesterday in his interview with ABC. He mentioned he had been audited by the IRS. In response to question about his tax returns, the GOP candidate said, “[M]y view is I’ve paid all the taxes required by law. From time to time I’ve been audited, as happens I think to other citizens as well… I don’t pay more than are legally due and frankly if I had paid more than are legally due I don’t think I’d be qualified to become president.”  The Romney campaign will not say what year he was audited -- only that he was found to be in compliance and that the audit took place more than 10 years ago. But while being audited isn’t that odd, it only adds to the narrative that his tax returns are so unique that it invites an audit.

*** Romney’s transparency problem: The Romney camp was wise to reverse course and finally allow press into a fundraiser in Israel this morning that it suddenly declared off limits, which violated protocol with the media. Why was it smart to reverse course? Because the Romney campaign already has a transparency problem. It has said it won’t reveal its bundlers (as George W. Bush, John McCain, and Barack Obama have) or release Romney’s own tax returns prior to 2010. So barring the media from covering an agreed-upon event would have even furthered this transparency problem. All administrations tend to be less transparent than promised once they get into office -- it’s the natural result of partisan conflict as well as the tension between the different branches of government. But Romney is well on his way to being the first presumptive presidential nominee we can remember who has been LESS transparent than his predecessors.

*** What Romney said at that fundraiser in Israel: So what did we learn from this fundraiser after the press was allowed entry? According to the pool report, attendees included Sheldon Adelson and his wife, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, mega-donor Paul Singer, and others. What’s more, Romney’s remarks at the fundraisers seemed to criticize Obama, though Romney didn’t mention him by name. “We face some real challenges, nonetheless, and perhaps in part because of the great success of these places, this home of yours, my home of America, that some are troubled by our success and seek to bring us down.” He added, “The news that our economy grew at 1.5% last quarter was really quite troubling. We’re now four years past the big downturn that occurred in 2008, and four years down the road and still seeing tepid numbers bouncing along the bottom is troubling.”

*** Adelson’s top issue: Speaking of Adelson, it is especially noteworthy that the biggest issue for the No. 1 donor to Republican causes, campaigns, and interest groups right now isn’t a domestic concern like taxes or regulation. It’s Israel. Adelson has really doubled down on becoming the highest profile mega-donor to the GOP. He seemed to almost relish the attention he was getting from the U.S. press corps while in Jerusalem on Romney’s behalf.

*** Bubba’s role at the Dem convention: As the New York Times first reported, former president Bill Clinton will speak in primetime on the next-to-last day of the Democratic convention, on Wednesday, Sept 5. That decision, NBC’s Carrie Dann notes, means that Vice President Biden will instead speak before the president on the final Thursday evening of the convention. Clinton is expected to argue for Obama's economic policies in his speech. "There's no one better to cut through on economic issues and lay out the choice in the election because he understands the consequences of the policy differences" from his own presidency, an aide said. But what shouldn’t be ignored about this decision is that Wednesday Sept. 5 is the NFL’s first game of the regular season, which will air on NBC. (It’s Giants-Cowboys; not exactly a matchup of teams that have small fan bases.) The Obama camp realized that it needed a big draw to compete with the NFL game and to convince the other networks to cover (NBC will NOT be airing any of the convention on the NFL night). In addition, moving Biden to Thursday isn’t a snub at all; in fact, it means that more male eyeballs will be on him than would have been the case if he went on Wednesday. Per NBC’s Dann, sources say the decision to bump Biden to the final night of the convention was made jointly by the VP and the president. Both Biden and Obama will speak at the football stadium.

*** Obama camp stops its PA ad spending, for now:  By the way, the Obama campaign is no longer advertising in Pennsylvania -- at least for now. We’ll have more information on all the ad spending later. But their latest buy has them in 8 states: FL, VA, NH, OH, IA, NV, CO and NC.

*** Cruz-ing to victory? And tomorrow is the Texas Senate run-off between LG David Dewhurst and Ted Cruz. All the momentum seems to be with Cruz right now. In fact, Politico pretty much says the race is his to lose. “Ted Cruz is on the cusp of a win in the Texas Republican Senate runoff that would shatter conventional campaign wisdom and elevate him as one of the brightest stars of the tea party generation.” Of course, anything can happen in a run-off. But if Cruz wins, it would be the Club for Growth’s biggest win in a big state. And a Dewhurst loss would mean that he got turned into the establishment incumbent. Given the unpopularity of Congress right now and of government in general, being tagged “the incumbent” is a political death sentence in competitive primaries. (Watch out Tommy Thompson).

Countdown to GOP convention: 28 days
Countdown to Dem convention: 35 days
Countdown to Election Day: 99 days

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Romney gets front-page treatment from the big newspapers for his trip to Israel:

The New York Times: “Romney backs Israeli position on facing Iran.”
The Washington Post: “Romney: Iran ‘containment’ not an option.”
The Wall Street Journal: “Romney talks tough.”
USA Today: “Romney takes aim at Iran.”
The Jerusalem Post: “Romney: US must give Israel diplomatic support, not just military and intel cooperation.” Subhead: “Republican presidential hopeful has tough rhetoric on Iran but stops short of pledging military action.”
Haaretz: “Romney in J’lem: Obama’s Mideast policies bolster Israel’s enemies.”
The Cleveland Plain Dealer (sidebar): “Romney says he’ll stand with Israel against Iran.”

(Question though: Are these really positives? This is a lot of saber-rattling from someone wanting to be the leader of a war-weary nation. And if the campaign’s calculation is this is going to win over American Jews, it’s doubtful this will win over the two-thirds that voted for Obama. The people this appeals to -- conservative to orthodox Jews and evangelical Christians -- were already voting for Romney.)

“Required by law”… Political Wire: “Mitt Romney was asked by ABC News if there was ever any year when he paid lower than a 13.9% effective tax rate as his 2010 tax returns show. Said Romney: ‘I haven't calculated that. I'm happy to go back and look but my view is I've paid all the taxes required by law.’” He went on to note that he’s been audited in the past. 

Newsweek cover: “The WIMP Factor: Is he just too insecure to be president.” Story by Michael Tomasky.

Romney’s response to CBS: "If I worried about what the media said I wouldn't get much sleep, and I sleep pretty well.” And, he said, “They tried that on George Herbert Walker Bush. He was a pretty great president and anything but. And, per CBS: Romney said he “doesn't ‘recall’ ever being called a wimp before.”

Flashback to Newsweek, January 1987: “Fighting the ‘Wimp Factor’” about George H.W. Bush.

But also here’s Newsweek again, April 16, 2008: “The Wimp Factor: Obama is starting to look more like Kerry in ’04” by Michael Hirsch. Story here.

There’s even a book by its name from 2005 about George W. Bush.

Prospects for Middle East peace under Romney? The New York Daily News: “Romney outrages Palestinians by saying Jewish culture helps make Israel more successful .” The lede: “Mitt Romney told Jewish donors Monday that their culture is part of what has allowed them to be more economically successful than the nearby Palestinians, outraging Palestinian leaders who called his comments racist and out of touch.”

Palestinian official Saeb Erekat: “What is this man doing here? Yesterday, he destroyed negotiations by saying Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and today he is saying Israeli culture is more advanced than Palestinian culture. Isn't this racism?''

Flashback to Thursday when the Daily Mail in Great Britain asked, “Who invited him?”

The AP: “Mitt Romney's assertion that Jerusalem is Israel's capital is absolutely unacceptable, a senior Palestinian official said Monday, voicing the strongest Palestinian criticism yet of the Republican presidential candidate.” More: “Saeb Erekat, an Abbas aide, said Romney's comments about Jerusalem were ‘absolutely unacceptable,’ adding that ‘such statements and policy will push the region toward extremists.’”

Here’s Romney on his own foreign policy to CBS, per the Boston Globe: “I would say that foreign policy is a place where intelligence, resolve, clarity and confidence in cause is of extraordinary importance. … Ronald Reagan was one of our great foreign policy presidents,’’ Romney said. “He did not come from the Senate. He did not come from the foreign policy world. He was a governor. But his resolve, his clarity of purpose, his intelligence, his capacity to deal with complex issues and solve tough problems served him extremely well. And if I were elected president, I hope I could rely on those same qualities.”

As for a Romney doctrine, good luck with specifics: “Well, my doctrine is as I’ve described,” Romney said, “which is confidence in our cause, clarity in our purpose and resolve in our might.”

Romney aide Dan Senor: “It is an existential threat and we in the West partnering with Israel should do everything we can from stopping Iran from developing that weapons capability. And if Israel has to take action on its own, in order to stop Iran from developing that capability the governor would respect that decision.”

The Ron Paul story: “Sixteen Republicans elected to represent Massachusetts at the national convention in Tampa next month have filed a formal challenge with the Republican National Committee, saying they were unfairly disqualified based on state GOP leaders’ concerns about their fealty to presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney,” the Boston Globe reports. “The group of delegates — originally supporters of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul — were elected in April caucuses at which they unexpectedly defeated many of Romney’s chosen delegates, but they have been since disqualified by state party officials.”

More: “The filing sets off a formal but uphill process for the would-be delegates, who hope to convince national party officials that they are being unfairly excluded from the Republican National Convention, to be held Aug. 27-30 in Tampa. An RNC committee is expected to consider the challenge by mid-August, but the party is not expected to make a decision until the week before the convention. … The legal counsel for the Republican National Committee could not be reached on Friday and a committee spokeswoman declined to comment. A spokesman for the Massachusetts Republican Party referred calls to the RNC. … In their letter, the so-called liberty delegates say they were duly elected in April, but disqualified after failing to provide timely affidavits pledging their support to Romney.”

As first reported by the New York Times, former president Bill Clinton will have a prominent role for the 2012 Democratic National Convention, speaking in primetime on Wednesday, Sept. 5, NBC’s Carrie Dann reports. The decision means that Vice President Biden will instead speak before the president on the final Thursday evening of the convention. The popular former president is expected to argue for Obama's economic policies in his speech.  "There's no one better to cut through on economic issues and lay out the choice in the election because he understands the consequences of the policy differences" from his own presidency, an aide said.

Sources say the decision to bump Biden to the final night of the convention was made jointly by the VP and the president. "He’ll build toward the President’s speech by giving unique insights and perspective of the President’s governing character and the challenges/decisions over the last four years in a way that only he can," says the aide of Biden's role.

The AP: “The move gives the Obama campaign an opportunity to take advantage of the former president's immense popularity and remind voters that a Democrat was in the White House the last time the American economy was thriving.”

And there’s this implicit comparison to the GOP: “Obama personally asked Clinton to speak at the convention and place Obama's name in nomination, and Clinton enthusiastically accepted, officials said. Clinton speaks regularly to Obama and to campaign officials about strategy. Clinton's prominent role at the convention will also allow Democrats to embrace party unity in a way that is impossible for Republican rival Mitt Romney. George W. Bush, the last Republican to hold the White House, remains politically toxic in some circles. While Bush has endorsed Romney, he is not involved in his campaign and has said he does not plan to attend the GOP convention.”

USA Today: “The prominent role for Clinton reflects the latest truce between the two presidents, who first clashed during the 2008 Democratic primaries when Obama defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton. More recently, the Obama team has been frustrated by Clinton comments complimenting Romney's business career and endorsing a different strategy on tax cuts.”

“In an appearance before the American Federation of Teachers conference in Detroit on Sunday, Vice President Joe Biden told attendees to look at Republicans' spending plans to see how much Republicans value education,” the Detroit Free Press writes. 

Dick Cheney says picking Sarah Palin was the wrong choice four years ago, but he did call her “attractive.”

"That one, I don't think was well handled,” Cheney told ABC of the 2008 veep pick.  "I like Governor Palin,” he said. “I've met her. I know her. She - attractive candidate. But based on her background, she'd only been governor for, what, two years. I don't think she passed that test...of being ready to take over. And I think that was a mistake." (H/T: Political Wire.)

JINDAL: Bobby Jindal was sounding very veep with some red meat, NBC’s Jamie Novogrod reported. “It was ‘Hope and Change’ four years ago,” Jindal said, referring to Obama’s 2008 campaign.  “Now it’s ‘Divide and Blame.’  Everything is somebody else’s fault.”

PAWLENTY: Tim Pawlenty gets cute again coining another punny phrase. He accused President Obama of being “all foam and no beer,” NBC’s Carrie Dann reported. Remember “ObamneyCare”? And he gave a full endorsement to Chick-Fil-A.

PORTMAN: Rob Portman is feeling the pressure to swing Ohio in Romney’s favor, NBC’s Andrew Rafferty reported.

RYAN: Over the weekend, NBC’s Alex Moe reported, Paul Ryan said he thinks Romney can win Wisconsin. 

JANESVILLE, Wis. -- Campaigning for the GOP nominee in his home state with just 100 days before the presidential election, Congressman Paul Ryan said he is confident Mitt Romney can win here in the Badger State this November.

"We haven't gone Republican on top of the ticket since 1984 but we think this time is different. We think it’s different because people in Wisconsin are tired of the direction Washington is going. They don't the president's policies have worked," Ryan told NBC News in an interview Sunday evening. They think, “this is not the uniter. This is not the hope and change. This is a man who is dividing us, who is giving us terrible economic policies, who is growing government, who is growing the debt, and that just doesn't rub right with Wisconsinites."

And the Republican National Committee Chairman predicted victory as well:

"If we win Wisconsin, I think it is lights out for Barack Obama," Chairman Reince Preibus told reporters in Waukesha.

Addressing crowds at Victory Centers throughout Wisconsin this weekend, Rep. Ryan was joined at points by Sen. Ron Johnson and the RNC Chairman, who is originally from Wisconsin. These events – complete with an official Romney bus -- were part of a big surrogate push throughout the country while Romney is overseas.

"This is a national campaign. All these battleground states, what we  want to do is get the message out, President Obama's policies aren't working, we need to go a different direction and we also want to thank all our volunteers," Ryan said -- avoiding the question if this surrogate blitz is really a tryout to be Romney's vice presidential pick.

Sen. Johnson weighed in briefly on the VP speculation.

"I think Paul would do a phenomenal job as vice president.  Nice thing that Gov. Romney has a lot of great choices.  So I've got faith that he'll choose a good one," the senator said.

But Rep. Ryan, who earlier in the day attended the Dousman Derby Days parade and fair where he participated in the 2012 Wisconsin State Frog Jump contest, continued to avoid any talk of being on Romney's ticket.

"I don't think it does the Romney campaign any help or favors to speculate or feed the speculation on this stuff so that's why I just don't make comments about it," he said when asked if he was a 'dark horse' for Romney to select.

The Wisconsin Congressman heads to the 19th District of Florida Monday to campaign for Chauncey Goss who is running for Congress before heading back to Washington, DC for the week.

CARY, NC -- Fresh from lunch at Chick-Fil-A, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty said that officials' public objections to the Christian-owned fast food chain are "chilling."

"Now you have the police power of government intimidating and threatening people, being used to intimidate and threaten people, based on their free speech rights and their religious views," Pawlenty said Saturday of city officials' objections to president Dan Cathy's public disavowal of gay marriage.  "I mean it’s chilling.  I mean it’s stunning, it is jaw-dropping.  And so I think strong people who see this need to stand up and say no we don’t do that in the United States."

Several elected officials, including the mayor of Boston, have said that they will discourage the opening of new Chick-Fil-A franchises.

Pawlenty noted said that he had sampled Chick-Fil-A's products for lunch earlier Saturday. "It was awesome," he said of the chicken strips and waffle fries he ordered.

The former Minnesota governor's comments came in response to a question from roundtable participant Kristine Godeaux of Cary. 

"I was just really wishing that someone in the Republican Party would have stepped forward," Godeaux said of the "intimidation" she felt from pro-gay marriage advocates over the issue. "There just seems to be this real lack of leadership and I’m just hopeful and praying that if Gov. Romney does win the election that we’ll be allowed to have civil debate and disagree with each other without feeling threatened or penalized."

Despite the ongoing summer Olympics, recreational hockey player Pawlenty had winter sports on the brain. He took time after the "sports parents" roundtable at the Polar Ice House skating venue to skate a few laps around the rink.

Pawlenty wasn't the only politician supporting Chick-Fil-A.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Friday posted on Facebook two pictures of a visit to a Chick-Fil-A in The Woodlands, Tex., where she supported insurgent conservative U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz. She posted the comment, "Stopped by Chick-fil-A in The Woodlands to support a great business."

LONDON -- Mitt Romney will try to rebuild momentum for his closely watched foreign trip Saturday when he arrives in Israel, where the presumptive GOP nominee will look to escape two days' worth of negative headlines plaguing his campaign in London.

Romney will arrive in Jerusalem with hopes of finding surer political footing than in London. He spent most of his two days in the United Kingdom's capital trying to clean up a controversy spurred by his comments to NBC doubting London's preparation for the Summer Olympic Games. He and his wife Ann attended the opening ceremonies last night.

This will be Romney's fourth visit to Israel, and it's expected to be another whirlwind day of meetings with top officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (a friend of Romney's from their days at Boston Consulting Group decades ago), and Palestinian leader Salam Fayyad, whom Romney also knows from previous visits.

Romney will also give a public speech while in Jerusalem — his first such engagement thus far during his foreign trip — that is expected to be heavy on praise for America's most important ally in the Middle East, with whom Romney has repeatedly called for the U.S. to "lock arms" on the international stage.

The presumptive GOP nominee has pledged to keep with diplomatic tradition by not criticizing President Obama or his foreign policy while on foreign soil, but in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Hayom (owned by conservative mega-donor Sheldon Adelson), Romney ripped the president for various elements of his policy toward Israel, including the president's call for the Israel to consider returning to its pre-1967 borders, including land swaps with the Palestinians to compensate for disputed territory.

"The president has also spoken of returning to 1967 borders — they are indefensible. And acting as a negotiator and usurping the primary role played by Israel in negotiating for its own future is not the right course for America to take," Romney told the paper.

Romney also indicated in his interview with Hayom that his primary audience on this trip to Israel was, after all, American voters. In 2008, President Obama carried the Jewish vote with 78 percent of the vote, a lead into which Romney's campaign would love to make inroads.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk explains:

"The context is a political campaign in which there is a sense that because of tensions between Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu the American Jewish vote is up for grabs," said Indyk, who served under Bill Clinton. "In that context its natural that the Republican campaign would seek to emphasize the friendships Romney has in Israel and the problems Obama has had with Netanyahu."

Indyk, who has authored a book on Obama's foreign policy, described Obama's security record on Israel - enhanced Friday by the signing of a new agreement - "impeccable," but said Romney had room to appeal to Israelis and Americans by showing more warmth to Israel than the sometimes cold Obama.

Sure to be on the agenda in Romney's various meetings: the specter of a nuclear Iran, the most pressing security issue to Israel.

"Again, he's got to walk between the raindrops, because while he'll try to draw distinction and claim Obama is weak and he is strong on this issue, he's got to be careful not to give the American voting public the impression if he's president he'll go to war with Iran," Indyk said.  

Brits rally around the Games after Romney's Olympics gaffe

SPRINGFIELD, VA -- Sen. John Thune has some advice for Mitt Romney: Be Yourself.

The South Dakota senator told NBC News that the Romney he knows does not always come across on the campaign trail, and that may be why voters are having a tough time relating to the presumptive Republican nominee.

"I've traveled with him in Iowa and been on the bus with his family and him, and they're just incredible, wonderful, normal people," Thune said. "And that's a side of him that I hope voters in this country get an opportunity to see.  And I think really he just needs to be himself."

Thune was here today to address Romney supporters and volunteers at victory office opening. On Thursday, he traveled to Virginia Beach to do the same, joining a slew of other Romney surrogates who are making similar campaign stops in battleground states throughout the country this weekend.

Thune, who himself had considered entering the presidential race, said that the more Americans get to see Romney, the more they will be able to relate to him beyond simply being a former businessman and governor.

"I think often times in politics -- you have tendency to -- people sort of put you in a bubble," he said. "And I think the more that he [Romney] gets a chance to get out in front of the American people, interact with them, in a way that I've had an opportunity to interact with him, they're going to see someone, who I think they're going to find is an incredibly, not only strong leader for our country, but someone that they really will believe in and can have great trust will take this country in the right direction."

Much has been of late about Thune's own political future.  He is considered to be a top contender to be chosen as Romney's vice president. Though he declined to say whether or not he is being vetted, he said he does not expect Romney to ask him to join the ticket. But he added "any time you get a chance to serve your country and if you're really serious about public life obviously you don't rule  options out."

And if VP is not in the cards for him, speculation is rampant that he could be next in line to become Republicans' leader in the Senate. If that is in the cards, he is confident he'll have a Republican to work with in the White House.

"It's always hard when the lights go on, and you know...People have a tendency to perhaps be a little bit more conscious of things that they say, and do when you're in public life, said Thune. "But I will say this: If the American people can see what I've seen in Mitt Romney who out on the campaign trail is very relaxed, someone very comfortable in his own skin, someone who has a real sense of purpose of what he want to do for this country. It's a quality that I think the American people are really going to be drawn to. And I think they're going to see that between now and November, and I think they're starting to see that already."

LONDON — Mitt Rommey sought Friday to tamp down the controversy stemming from the concerns he'd raised about London's readiness to host the Olympic games, saying he was "absolutely convinced" the city was ready for the games, which open tonight.

"I'm absolutely convinced the people here are ready for the games," Romney told NBC's Matt Lauer in an exclusive interview.

Romney has been lambasted in the British press for two days after telling NBC's Brian Williams on Wednesday that there were"disconcerting" factors in the lead up to the games, which prompted a minor uproar that culminated last night at a rally in Hyde Park, where Romney was called out by London's mayor Boris Johnson.

“I hear there’s a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we’re ready," Johnson shouted to the crowd. "He wants to know whether we’re ready. Are we ready? Are we ready? Yes we are!”

Romney looked to turn the page on the controversy this morning in his interview with Lauer, where he said his campaign would continue next week to be on its economic focus.

"I'm very proud of the fact that my campaign is focused on the economy," Romney said, telling Lauer he could not say whether his campaign was more or less negatively focused than President Obama's, but that his was "not focused on personal attacks," a reference to the Obama campaign's recent ads highlighting Romney's business record and his refusal to release more than two years of tax returns.

On the matter of his taxes, Romney reiterated his staunch position on only releasing two years of tax returns so as not to give Democrats more to "distort and twist and be dishonest" about.

"We just laid out exactly what is required by law, which is all of our financial statements," Romney said, adding that he based his tax return releases on what 2008 GOP nominee John McCain had done, and "did the same thing."

Finally, Romney was asked to weigh in to the Decision 2012 of the Olympic games: who would win the first duel between American swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte?

"I think its more likely to be Phelps, but I don't know," said Romney, who yesterday told Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg he planned to attend some swimming events on Saturday because "Americans typically do well in swimming.”

For her part, Ann Romney said it would be "nervewracking," to watch her horse Rafalca compete in the equestrian sport of dressage later in the week -- an event her husband would not be attending.

"When I'm watching my horse it's like watching my children play sports," Mrs. Romney said, adding of her husband's plan not to attend the dressage competition, "I give him a pass when it comes to my horses because he's so so supportive of me."

We’ve reached halftime in the Obama-vs.-Romney contest… Romney’s rough Thursday in England and he tries to clean up the mess… NBC’s Matt Lauer interviews Romney on “TODAY”… Obama camp goes up with its Olympics TV spot… And why doesn’t the public know Romney better?

*** Halftime: With tonight's Olympics opening ceremonies, we've now reached essentially halftime in this presidential contest. Keeping with the sports analogy, the two teams are going into the locker room with Obama ahead of Romney -- 14-13 if it's a football game, 49-43 if it's basketball. In other words, it's still anyone's game. Both sides have had their share of smart play and boneheaded mistakes, and now we get a chance to breathe, relax, and prepare for the second half, which kicks off with Romney's VP and the two conventions. The fourth quarter starts with the debates (three between the presidential candidates and one between the VPs). As we wrote earlier this week, the Obama-Romney race is beginning to boil down to a pull of two forces: the economy (which is a drag on Obama) vs. likeability (which is a drag on Romney).

*** Romney’s rough Thursday: But if it's now halftime, Team Romney -- with what happened in Great Britain yesterday -- concluded it by committing a false start, a holding penalty, and then an interception. Yes, yesterday was that bad. Bottom line: Romney's interview with NBC's Brian Williams, in which the presumptive GOP nominee said there are some "disconcerting" signs about the London Games' security and preparations, ignited a controversy in Great Britain. Prime Minister David Cameron responded, "We're holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world. Of course, it's easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere." (Cameron’s obvious reference to “nowhere” -- Salt Lake.) And the British press pounced. The Guardian: “Mitt Romney's Olympics blunder stuns No 10 and hands gift to Obama.” The Daily Telegraph: “Mitt Romney's Olympics gaffe overshadows visit to London.” The London Times: “Romneyshambles: PM’s snub.” And London Mayor Boris Johnson topped it off by saying at a rally: “There's a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we are ready. Are we ready?" Ouch.

*** Clean up in Aisle 5: Romney later tried to clean up the mess after visiting Cameron at 10 Downing Street, “offering effusive praise for the London games, and calling the city's preparation for the event ‘really quite an accomplishment,’” NBC’s Garrett Haake reports. “I don’t know of any Olympics that’s ever been able to run without any mistakes whatsoever, but they’re small, and I was encouraged, for instance to see, things that could have represented a real challenge—such as immigration and customs officers on duty, that is something which was resolved and the people are all pulling together,” Romney said, later adding: “I’m very delighted with the prospects of a highly successful Olympic games.” Earlier this week, we wrote how risk-averse Romney's trip (to England, Israel, and Poland) was, at least compared with Obama's four years ago. But Romney's first full day on his trip proved that you can stumble even on the easiest of routines. Today's agenda: He has a photo spray with Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny at Ireland’s embassy in London at 10:15 am ET, and attends the opening ceremony, which begins at 4:00 pm ET.

*** Romney’s interview with Matt Lauer: But before that, Romney and his wife sat down for an interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer on “TODAY.” Asked to respond to all the controversy in Britain, Romney said, “After being here for a couple of days, it looks to me like London is ready.” When Lauer followed up, inquiring if Romney is walking back his earlier remarks, the GOP candidate said he’s “absolutely convinced” that London is ready and that the athletic events will overshadow anything said by the politicians. Lauer also asked Romney if he was proud of the campaign he’s running, given all the negativity. His response: I’m proud that my campaign has focused on the economy. And Romney -- once again -- said he wouldn’t be releasing more of his tax returns.

*** Obama’s Olympics TV ad: Speaking of the Olympics, the Obama campaign is up with the TV ad it’s going to air during the opening ceremony of the Summer Games. It’s a positive spot, with fast-paced music and words from Obama while on the campaign trail. “We're a nation of workers and doers and dreamers. We work hard for what we get. And all we ask for is that our hard work pays off,” Obama says. “I believe that the way you grow the economy is from the middle out. I believe in fighting for the middle class -- because if they're  prospering, all of us will prosper. That's the idea of America, and that's why America is the greatest nation on earth." At 10:15 am ET, the president signs the United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act (interestingly just before Romney heads to Israel), and he holds two fundraisers in McLean, VA.

*** Why doesn’t the public know Romney better? We want to make one final point at this halftime juncture of the presidential contest. In his interview with NBC’s Brian Williams, Romney was asked why Americans don’t know him better. His answer: “I realize this is still early for a lot of people in the political process. Labor Day is usually the time when people focus more attention on candidates…[M]ost folks won't really get to see me until the debates and will get a better sense of the character that I have. And I guess also my wife and my sons and daughters-in-law, they're doing the best job they can to get the real story about who I am.” But chew on this: Romney has been actively running for the White House for six years now. As Charlie Cook writes in National Journal, “In my judgment, Romney’s poor [poll] numbers go back to his campaign’s obsession with talking only about the economy and not attempting to define who Romney is as a person, as a way to build trust and strong positive personal feelings toward their candidate.” If you look at the fundamentals of this race, Romney should be ahead. And the fact is, he’s not. Why not? Because he has fumbled his biography. When you have to say there’s still time to introduce yourself, it’s a tacit admission that you haven’t done it yet.

Countdown to GOP convention: 31 days

Countdown to Dem convention: 38 days

Countdown to Election Day: 102 days

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The AP’s Beaumont goes to Colorado and says it’s all about suburban women. “If President Barack Obama wins this swing-voting state, and a second term as president, voters like Paula Burky will probably be the reason,” he writes. "‘He understands women,’ said Burky, a Westminster resident who last month decided to vote for Obama. Both the Democratic president and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, see women -- specifically suburbanites from their 30s to their 50s -- as critical to victory in Colorado as well as in other hard-fought places like Virginia and Nevada where polls also show close contests. That means this group of voters may also hold the key to winning the White House.”

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg endorsed Scott Brown because of his “opposition to the National Right-To-Carry Reciprocity Act, which would allow gun owners to carry concealed weapons across state lines,” the Boston Globe reports. Bloomberg “will hold an August fund-raiser for Brown at his Upper East Side townhouse.”

The Boston Globe: “Mitt Romney offered his unvarnished take of the challenges of holding the Olympics - and touched off criticism in the British press [yesterday] and an apparent jab from Prime Minister David Cameron.”

Romney told NBC’s Brian Williams: “It’s hard to know just how well it will turn out. There are a few things that were disconcerting: the stories about the private security firm not having enough people, supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging.”

The Globe: “In response, the Daily Mail Online carried a headline, ‘Who invited him? US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney questions British public’s appetite for the Games during visit to London.’”

And then the zinger from Cameron: “We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world. Of course it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere.” The Globe adds, “which was interpreted as a reference to Salt Lake City and Utah.”

The Daily Mail: “'Devoid of charm, offensive and a wazzock': Romney's disastrous day in London after saying he didn't know if Olympics would be a success.”

It writes: “[A]fter a series of gaffes, Mr Romney has been on the sharp end of a series of tongue-lashings from the press, government officials and even leading politicians. The Republican's most damaging blunder came when he questioned whether his hosts would be able to make a success of the Games, saying: 'It's hard to know just how well it will turn out.'”

The Telegraph: “The Daily Telegraph's Lucy Jones branded him a 'wazzock' (which the Urban Dictionary defines as 'an idiot or daft person') after the candidate questioned Britain's desire to host the Games. She said: 'Who does Mitt Romney think he is? I feel a glimmer of protectiveness and pride... there's one thing Romney could learn while he's in Britain this week: some manners.' Nicholas Watt, from the Guardian, tweeted of his U-turn: 'Mitt Romney rowing back like mad on Olympics: Now says outside No 10 games to be a great success.' Meanwhile, Paul Harris said: 'Good old Mitt. His charm offensive in the UK failed to be charming, but he really pulled off the offensive bit #gop #romney.'

And: “On Twitter, users have been attacking Mr Romney deploying hashtags such as #Romneyshambles and #Mitthitsthefan.”

Political Wire: “The Guardian: ‘From criticising the biggest sporting event Britain has held in over 40 years, to 'looking out of the backside of 10 Downing Street', Mitt Romney's first foreign trip of his presidential candidacy hasn't gone quite as well as he might have hoped. As the former Massachusetts governor continues to gaffe his way across London, here's a round-up of Romney's red-facers. So far.’”

And: “Mitt Romney has already been slapped by British Prime Minister David Cameron for suggesting that Britain may not be ready to host the Olympics, but Josh Rogin points out it's not the first time he's said unflattering things about the country,” Political Wire writes. Romney wrote, in his book, No Apology: “ ‘England is just a small island. Its roads and houses are small. With few exceptions, it doesn't make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy. And if it hadn't been separated from the continent by water, it almost certainly would have been lost to Hitler's ambitions.’”

The New York Daily News: “Mitt Romney walks back comments on Olympic troubles as he kicks off UK visit.” The News: “The comments got wide attention in England, with major newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph splashing his critique on their websites. On Thursday, Romney struck a more optimistic tone.”

But still this wasn’t all that positive: “My experience with regards to the Olympics is it is impossible for absolutely no mistakes to occur,” he said during a joint appearance at Parliament with Labor leader Ed Miliband, according to Politico.

"Of course there will be errors from time to time, but those are all overshadowed by the extraordinary demonstrations of courage, character and determination by the athletes," he continued. “And as soon as the sporting events begin, we all forget the organizers and focus on the athletes.”

The Telegraph: “The two men are said to have got on well during their talks, despite the barbed rebuke Mr Cameron delivered beforehand when to comment on Mr Romney’s concerns about the capital’s preparedness for the Games.”

In another Daily News piece: “At this rate, Mitt Romney may provoke an international incident with the United Kingdom by the weekend. Romney’s high-profile visit to Great Britain continued to be plagued with gaffes Thursday, as the Republican candidate’s error-prone appearances culminated in nearly 60,000 Londoners jeering the mention of his name. London mayor Boris Johnson, in a pre-Games rally in Hyde Park, revved up the masses by invoking the GOP candidate, who ran the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and questioned whether London was prepared. ‘There’s a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know if London is ready,’ Johnson cried to the tens of thousands gathered in the famous park. ‘Are we ready?’”

And: “ ‘The opening ceremonies aren’t until Friday, but Romney is already in medal contention for the gaffe-cathlon,’ a Republican political strategist in amazement.”

There was also this: “An assortment of Olympic memorabilia – including a collector’s pin bearing Mitt Romney’s smiling face – was made in China for the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City run by the current Republican presidential candidate,” the New York Daily News writes.

Did you get that he approved of pins made with his likeness for the 2002 games? “Fraser Bullock, Romney's top deputy at the Olympics, told NPR a previous interview that the pins weren’t Romney’s idea. ‘Mitt could care less whether his face is on a pin or not,’ Bullock said. ‘It became a very popular pin and generated revenue for the organizing committee, and that's where he was coming from.’”

From Michael Kranish’s book (which BuzzFeed and Political Wire picked up on yesterday: Ken Bullock, a member of the organizing committee’s board “was among those bemused by Romney’s efforts to promote himself, which seemed to run against the grain of his buttoned-down business persona. Romney became the first Olympics executive to approve a series of commemorative pins bearing his likeness. One pin depicted his fact under a heart with the words: ‘HEY MITT … WE LOVE YOU!’”

“He tried very hard to build an image of himself as a savior, the great white hope,” Bullock said of Romney. “He was very good at characterizing and castigating people and putting himself on a pedestal.”

“Mitt Romney on Thursday continued to pound President Obama for a quote about entrepreneurs – ‘If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that’ -- as a new Gallup poll found Obama is out of favor with nearly six in 10 business owners,” the Boston Globe reports. “The Romney campaign on Thursday unveiled a new page on its website called ‘Built by Us’ which features video testimonies of business owners who say they resent Obama’s suggestion that they owe some of their success to government.