Poll shows key swing states divided

A new poll released Thursday indicates Mitt Romney's favorability rating dropped slightly in the past month. According to the Pew Research Center survey, 37% of respondents said they hold a favorable view of the presumptive GOP nominee, compared to 41% in June.

 CNN POLLS

POLL	DATE	RESULTS	SOURCE	SAMPLE	MARGIN
CNN Poll: Was politics behind Holder contempt vote?	6/28/2012 - 7/1/2012	Gain political advantage 61% Real ethical concerns 34% No opinion 5%	CNN/ORC International	1,517 adult Americans	+/- 2.5% pts.
Most Americans approve of Holder contempt decision	6/28/2012 - 7/1/2012	Approve 53% Disapprove 33% No opinion 13%	CNN/ORC International	1,517 adult Americans	+/- 2.5% pts.
CNN Poll: Cookouts make July 4th sizzle	6/28/2012 - 7/1/2012	Cookouts, barbecues, picnic 38% Fireworks 28% Day off from work 21% No opinion 8% Other (vol.) 7% Parades 5%	CNN/ORC International poll	1,517 adult Americans	+/- 2.5% pts.
Over half of Americans oppose health care bill	5/29/2012 - 5/31/2012	Oppose 51% Favor 43% No opinion 6%	CNN/ORC International	1,009 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
Most Americans favor Arizona's immigration law	5/29/2012 - 5/31/2012	Favor 75% Oppose 24% No opinion 1%	CNN/ORC International	1,009 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
CNN Poll: Close race between Obama and Romney	5/29/2012 - 5/31/2012	Obama 49% Romney 46% Neither 4% Other 1% No opinion 0%	CNN/ORC International	1,009 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
Most Americans believe economy is stable, but not recovered	4/13/2012 - 4/15/2012	An economic recovery has not started but conditions have stabilized and are not getting any worse 42% The economy is still in a downturn and conditions are continuing to worsen 33% The economy is starting to recover from the problems it faced in the past year or so 24% No opinion 1% Recession is over/Economy has recovered 0%	CNN/ORC International	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
Most Americans oppose using military action against North Korea	4/13/2012 - 4/15/2012	Oppose 59% Favor 38% No opinion 3%	CNN/ORC International	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
CNN Poll: Americans split on Romney's favorability	4/13/2012 - 4/15/2012	Favorable 44% Unfavorable 43% Never heard of 7% No opinion 6%	CNN/ORC International	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
Most Americans say tax system is unfair to average workers	4/13/2012 - 4/15/2012	Describes 68% Does not describe 29% No opinion 4%	CNN/ORC International	506 adult Americans	+/- 4.5% pts.
Americans have split opinions on income tax	4/13/2012 - 4/15/2012	About right 50% Too high 45% Too low 3% No opinion 2%	CNN/ORC International	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
CNN Poll: 7 out of 10 support 'Buffett Rule'	4/13/2012 - 4/15/2012	Favor 72% Oppose 27% No opinion 1%	CNN/ORC International	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
Support for working women almost unanimous	4/13/2012 - 4/15/2012	Yes, approve 97% No, disapprove 2%	CNN/ORC International	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
Most believe men have better lives in America	4/13/2012 - 4/15/2012	Men 56% Women 21% Same 19% No opinion 4%	CNN/ORC International	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
CNN Poll: 1% of Americans thinks things are 'very well' in Afghanistan	3/24/2012 - 3/25/2012	Moderately badly 39% Moderately well 36% Very badly 22% Very well 1% No opinion 1%	CNN/ORC International	504 adult Americans	+/- 4.5% pts.
CNN Poll: 55% of Americans want troops home early	3/24/2012 - 3/25/2012	Earlier than 2014 55% Remove all in 2014 22% Beyond 2014 22% No opinion 1%	CNN/ORC International	1,014 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
CNN Poll: Most Americans think the U.S. is losing Afghan War	3/24/2012 - 3/25/2012	Is not winning 61% Is winning 34% No opinion 5%	CNN/ORC International	510 adult Americans	+/- 4.5% pts.
President Obama's approval rate remains above 50%	3/24/2012 - 3/25/2012	Approve 51% Disapprove 45% No opinion 4%	CNN/ORC International	1,014 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Romney approval: Not America's favorite	3/24/2012 - 3/25/2012	Unfavorable 49% Favorable 37% No opinion 9% Never heard of 5%	CNN/ORC International	1,014 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
CNN Poll: Obama wins in a match-up against Romney	3/24/2012 - 3/25/2012	Obama/Lean Obama 46% Romney/Lean Romney 40% Neither 3% Other 0% No opinion 0%	CNN/ORC International	1,014 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
CNN Poll: Americans blame oil companies for high gas prices	3/24/2012 - 3/25/2012	Oil companies 55% Foreign countries that produce oil 34% The situation in Iran 28% The policies of the Obama administration 24% The policies of the Republicans in Congress 21%	CNN/ORC International	1,014American adults	+/- 3% pts.
Most believe it's very likely gas prices will be $5 per gallon	3/24/2012 - 3/25/2012	Very likely 48% Somewhat likely 31% Not very likely 14% Not likely at all 7% No opinion 1% Already paying $5 0%	CNN/ORC International	1,014 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
CNN Poll: Rising gas prices causing financial hardships	3/24/2012 - 3/25/2012	Yes, caused hardship 71% No, did not cause hardship 29% No opinion 0%	CNN/ORC International	1,014 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
CNN Poll: Majority in GOP say Gingrich and Paul should end bids	3/24/2012 - 3/25/2012	Paul- leave the race 61% Gingrich- Leave the race 60% Gingrich- Stay in the race 39% Paul- stay in the race 36%	CNN/ORC International	1,014 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
CNN Poll: Should health care law be overturned?	3/24/2012 - 3/25/2012	Overturn some provisions 43% Overturn all provisions 30% Keep law as is 23% No opinion 4%	CNN/ORC International	1,014 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.

POLL	DATE	RESULTS	SOURCE	SAMPLE	MARGIN
CNN Poll: Trayvon Martin shooter should be arrested	3/24/2012 - 3/25/2012	Should arrest 73% No opinion 16% Should not arrest 11%	CNN/ORC International	1,014 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
CNN Poll: Afghan war support hits new low	3/24/2012 - 3/25/2012	Oppose 72% Favor 25% No opinion 3%	CNN/ORC International	1,014 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
CNN Poll: Romney and Santorum with equal votes in Ohio	3/1/2012 - 3/4/2012	Romney 32% Santorum 32% Gingrich 14% Paul 11% No opinion 8% None/ No one (vol.) 2% Someone else (vol.) 0%	CNN/ORC International	527 likely Republican registered voters in Oh	+/- 4% pts.
CNN Poll: Catholic support for Romney crucial in Ohio	3/1/2012 - 3/4/2012	Romney 39% Santorum 33% Gingrich 15% Paul 8% No opinion 4% Someone else (vol.) 0% None/ No one (vol.) 0%	CNN/ORC International	527 likely Republican registered voters in Oh	+/- 8% pts.
CNN Poll: Santorum might be closing the gap with Romney in Arizona	2/17/2012 - 2/20/2012	Romney 36% Santorum 32% Gingrich 18% Paul 6% No opinion 6% None/ No one (vol.) 1% Someone else (vol.) 0%	CNN/ORC International	467 likely Republican voters	+/- 4.5% pts.
CNN Poll: Half oppose Obama birth control insurance plan	2/10/2012 - 2/13/2012	Disapprove 50% Approve 44% No opinion 6%	CNN/ORC International	1,026 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Approval rating for Obama goes up	2/10/2012 - 2/13/2012	Approve 50% Disapprove 48% No opinion 2%	CNN/ORC International	1,026 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
U.S. response to Iran nuclear program	2/10/2012 - 2/13/2012	Use economic and diplomatic efforts only 60% Take no action at all 22% Take military action right now 17% No opinion 1%	CNN/ORC International	1,026 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Majority of Americans see no U.S. obligation to Syria	2/10/2012 - 2/13/2012	U.S. does not have responsibility 73% U.S. has responsibility 25% No opinion 2%	CNN/ORC International	1,026 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
CNN Poll: Romney's likability fading	2/10/2012 - 2/13/2012	Unfavorable 54% Favorable 34% Never heard of 5% No opinion 5%	CNN/ORC International	The sample includes 773 interviews among land	+/- 3% pts.
Poll: 54 percent of Americans favor cutting payroll tax	2/10/2012 - 2/13/2012	Favor 54% Oppose 42% No opinion 4%	CNN/ORC International	1,026 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
More than half disapprove of raising the debt ceiling at this time	8/1/2011	Disapprove 51% Approve 48% No opinion 2%	CNN/ORC International	860 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
More than 50 percent of Americans disapprove of debt limit agreement	8/1/2011	Disapprove 52% Approve 44% No opinion 5%	CNN/ORC International	860 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
More than 80 percent disapprove of how Congress is handling its job	8/1/2011	Disapprove 84% Approve 14% No opinion 2%	CNN/ORC International	860 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
More than half disapprove of how Obama is handling his job	8/1/2011	Disapprove 52% Approve 45% No opinion 2%	CNN/ORC International	860 adult Americans	+/- 3.5% pts.
Poll: Mixed feelings toward prospect of Obama winning re-election	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Pleased 33% Displeased 32% Excited 19% Angry 16% No opinion 1%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
More than 80 percent of Democrats would like Obama renominated	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Renominate Obama 81% Different candidate 18% No opinion 1%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	472Democrats	+/- 4.5% pts.
Poll: 54 percent of GOP voters would like to see Palin run	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Would like to see run 54% Would not like to see run 44% No opinion 2%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
Poll: 66 percent of GOP voters would like to see Giuliani run	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Would like to see run 66% Would not like to see run 33%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
Poll: 42 percent of GOP voters say Romney likely to win nomination	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Mitt Romney 42% Sarah Palin 14% Rudy Giuliani 12% Newt Gingrich 9% No opinion 8% Tim Pawlenty 3% Ron Paul 3% Herman Cain 3% Michele Bachmann 2% None/No one 2% All results »	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
Giuliani, Romney leading second choice for 2012 GOP nomination	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Rudy Giuliani 16% Mitt Romney 16% Sarah Palin 13% Ron Paul 12% Tim Pawlenty 9% Newt Gingrich 8% Michele Bachmann 7% None/no one 7% Herman Cain 5% Rick Santorum 4% All results »	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
Poll: Romney leads pack of Republican presidential contenders	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Mitt Romney 24% Sarah Palin 20% Rudy Giuliani 12% Herman Cain 10% Newt Gingrich 10% Ron Paul 7% Michele Bachmann 4% Tim Pawlenty 3% No opinion 3% Someone else 2% All results »	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
Poll: 48 percent of registered voters say issues will decide 2012 vote	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Stance on issues 48% Leadership skills and vision 42% Both 7% Neither 1% No opinion 1%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	944registered voters	+/- 3% pts.
Poll: 47 percent say issues will shape their vote in 2012	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Stance on issues 47% Leadership skills and vision 44% Both 7% No opinion 2% Neither 1%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Poll: 38 percent of registered Republicans 'extremely' enthused about 2012	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Extremely enthusiastic 38% Very enthusiastic 23% Somewhat enthusiastic 18% Not too enthusiastic 10%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	415registered Republicans	+/- 5% pts.

POLL	DATE	RESULTS	SOURCE	SAMPLE	MARGIN
Poll: 26 percent of registered Dems 'extremely' enthused about 2012	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Very enthusiastic 29% Somewhat enthusiastic 29% Extremely enthusiastic 26% Not too enthusiastic 9% Not at all enthusiastic 6% No opinion 2%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	429registered Democrats	+/- 4.5% pts.
Poll: 29 percent of registered voters 'extremely' enthusiastic about 2012	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Extremely important 29% Very enthusiastic 25% Somewhat enthusiastic 25% Not too enthusiastic 10% Not at all enthusiastic 10% No opinion 1%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	944registered voters	+/- 3% pts.
More than half 'extremely' or 'very' enthused about voting in 2012 election	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Extremely enthusiastic 28% Very enthusiastic 24% Not at all enthusiastic 13% Somewhat enthusiastic 10% No opinion 1%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Nearly 50 percent of Americans say they have never heard of Santorum	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Never heard of 49% Unfavorable 20% Favorable 16% No opinion 15%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Poll: 64 percent of Republicans say Paul cannot beat Obama	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Does not apply 64% Applies 27% No opinion 10%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
Poll: 56 percent of Republicans say Paul agrees with them on issues	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Applies 56% Does not apply 30% No opinion 13%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
Poll; 53 percent of Republicans say Paul represents their values	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Applies 53% Does not apply 36% No opinion 11%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
Poll: 39 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of Romney	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Favorable 39% Unfavorable 29% Never heard of 17% No opinion 15%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Poll: 55 percent of Republicans say Paul is 'strong and decisive'	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Applies 55% Does not apply 34% No opinion 11%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
Poll: 44 percent of Americans say they've never heard of Pawlenty	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Never heard of 44% Favorable 20% Unfavorable 18% No opinion 18%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Poll: 34 percent of Americans say they have a favorable opinion of Paul	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Favorable 34% Unfavorable 26% Never heard of 25% No opinon 15%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Poll: 51 percent of Republicans say Paul is not a 'typical politican'	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Applies 51% Does not apply 39% No opinion 10%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
More than half say they have an unfavorable opinion of Palin	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Unfavorable 52% Favorable 39% No opinion 7% Never heard of 2%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Poll: 53 percent of Republicans say Paul is qualified to be president	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Applies 53% Does not apply 36% No opinion 11%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
Sixty percent of Americans say they've never heard of Huntsman	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Never heard of 60% No opinion 16% Favorable 13% Unfavorable 11%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Poll: 85 percent of Republicans say Giuliani is 'strong and decisive'	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Applies 85% Does not apply 14% No opinion 1%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
More than half say they have a favorable opinion of Giuliani	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Favorable 55% Unfavorable 25% Never heard of 11% No opinion 9%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Poll: 75 percent of Republicans say Giuliani agrees with them on issues	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Applies 75% Does not apply 23% No opinion 3%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
Poll: 56 percent of Republicans say Giuliani can beat Obama	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Applies 56% Does not apply 42% No opinion 2%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
More than 40 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Gingrich	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Unfavorable 44% Favorable 30% Never heard of 16% No opinion 10%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Poll: 74 percent of Republicans say Giuliani represents their values	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Applies 74% Does not apply 25% No opinion 1%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
More than 60 percent of Americans say they've never heard of Cain	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Never heard of 62% Favorable 17% No opinion 11% Unfavorable 10%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
Nearly 40 percent of Americans say they've never heard of Bachmann	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Never heard of 37% Favorable 28% Unfavorable 24% No opinion 11%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	1,015 adult Americans	+/- 3% pts.
More than half of Republicans say Giuliani is not a 'typical politican'	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Applies 53% Does not apply 45% No opinion 1%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.
Poll: 77 percent of Republicans say Giuliani is qualified to be president	6/3/2011 - 6/7/2011	Applies 77% Does not apply 21% No opinion 2%	CNN/Opinion Research Corp.	433Republicans	+/- 4.5% pts.

Syria’s Assad returns to public eye with ally

Iran 

Syrian President Bashar Assad made his first appearance on state TV in nearly three

 weeks Tuesday in a show of solidarity with a senior Iranian envoy.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2012, 5:03 PM

ANONYMOUS/AP

Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, meets with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday.

BEIRUT — Syrian President Bashar Assad made his first appearance on state TV in nearly three weeks Tuesday in a show of solidarity with a senior Iranian envoy even as the U.S. secretary of state urged stepped up international planning for the regime’s collapse.

The contrasts couldn’t have been more vivid: Assad and Iran’s Saeed Jalili vowing to defeat the rebels and their backers, while Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton predicted Assad’s regime was quickly unraveling, with high-level defections such as his prime minister’s switch to the rebel side.

It also highlighted Assad’s deepening reliance on a shrinking list of allies, led by Tehran. Assad — seen on state TV for the first time since a July 18 bombing in Damascus killed four of his top security officials — used Jalili’s visit to portray a sense of command and vowed to fight his opponents “relentlessly.”

Jalili, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, promised Iran would stand by Syria against its international “enemies” — a clear reference to the rebels’ Western backers and others such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

While there were no public pledges of greater military assistance to Assad, the mission by Jalili appeared to reflect Iran’s efforts to reassure Syria of its backing and ease speculation that Tehran also could be making contingencies for Assad’s possible fall.

On a visit to South Africa, Clinton described Assad’s regime as splintering from Monday’s defection of Syria’s prime minister, Riad Hijab, and other military and political figures breaking away in recent months. She urged international leaders to begin work on a “good transition plan” to try to keep Syria from collapsing into more chaos after Assad.

“I am not going to put a timeline on it. I can’t possibly predict it, but I know it’s going to happen as do most observers around the world,” Clinton told reporters.

A post-Assad Syria presents a host of worrisome scenarios, including a bloody cycle of revenge and power grabs by the country’s patchwork of factions. They include the Sunni-led rebels and Assad’s minority Alawite community, an offshoot of Shiite Islam and part of its close bonds with Shiite power Iran.

A growing humanitarian crisis is already taking hold.

More than 1,300 Syrians fled to Turkey on Tuesday as rebels tried to expand their hold inside Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, despite two weeks of withering counterattacks by Assad’s troops. Close to 48,000 Syrians have already taken refuge in Turkey, which has served as a staging ground for rebels. Even more refugees have crossed into Jordan and Lebanon.

And at least 22,300 Iraqis who fled to Syria several years ago have streamed home in the past three weeks, said U.N. officials in Baghdad as they prepared for more refugees.

In Geneva, meanwhile, the World Health Organization said the fighting has severely hit Syria’s health services, including closing down 90 percent of pharmaceutical plants in Damascus and other main cities and leaving critical shortages of medicine. WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic cited a Syrian Health Ministry report that 200 ambulances were lost in recent weeks to theft or clashes.

Aleppo-based activists said clashes were going on Tuesday near the historic city center. That suggested the rebels were making some inroads in Aleppo, which lies some 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the Turkish border.

Intense government bombardment of the Syrian town of Tal Rafaat closer to the border sent scores of people spilling into Turkey for safety, according to the activists.

A Turkish government official said 1,328 Syrian refugees had crossed the border Tuesday — nearly double the number of the previous day. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules.

Ahmad Saleh, a Tal Rifaat resident who fled to Turkey, said the town was shelled Monday from the nearby air base of Minnegh, killing at least two people. “We had to choose between dying in Syria and coming to Turkey,” he said.

A video posted online by activists Tuesday showed a large group of Free Syrian Army rebels in military fatigues and carrying rocket-propelled grenades and automatic rifles. The fighters were seen announcing that they were joining the “Unification Brigade,” the main group of rebels in Aleppo, to assist in the “liberation” of the city.

“They have Satan on their side, we have God on ours,” one rebel shouted. “We are coming, Aleppo,” shouted another. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.

Despite a ferocious crackdown, rebels in Syria have grown more confident and are using increasingly bolder tactics both in Aleppo and in the capital, Damascus.

In a daylight attack, rebels on Saturday abducted a group of 48 Iranians near Damascus, branding them as spies assisting in Assad’s crackdown.

Iran says those captured when their bus was commandeered were pilgrims visiting a Shiite shrine on the outskirts of Damascus, and Jalili said Tuesday that Iran would spare no effort to secure their release.

“We believe that the abduction of innocent people could not be accepted by any rational person. We believe that the parties that support those terrorist groups to commit such disgraceful acts, are their partners,” he said.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it holds the U.S. responsible for the fate of the abducted Iranians.

Iran’s state IRNA news agency said the ministry summoned the Swiss envoy in Tehran late Monday to stress that Iran expects Washington to use its influence to secure the Iranians’ release. The Swiss look after U.S. interests in Iran since Tehran and Washington have no diplomatic relations.

The Iranian Embassy in Turkey said Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi was traveling Tuesday to Turkey, where he was to meet with his Turkish counterpart to discuss Syria and the abducted Iranians.

Syrian rebels claimed three of the Iranian captives were killed on Monday during shelling by government forces in Damascus and its suburbs, and threatened to kill the remaining Iranians unless the army stopped its bombardment.

“The Syrian regime is responsible for anything that happens to the Iranians,” a representative of the Baraa Brigades, which claimed responsibility for the group’s abduction, told The Associated Press on Skype.

The representative’s claim that three were killed could not be independently verified. An official at the Iranian Embassy in Damascus said he had no information on the subject.

Related

• Kirchick: How much time will Obama waste trying to engage Syria?
• UN observers in Syria find 13 corpses with hands tied behind their backs, shot execution-style 
• Kofi Annan ‘shocked and horrified’ by massacre in Syria that left dozens of children dead
• 32 children dead among 90 killed in Syria; Government denies its behind deaths
• Syria suicide bombings kill at least 9, nearly 100 hurt
• Car bomb kills 17 in Syria in rare outburst of violence

No Olympic gold for Romney horse

By Alicia M. Cohn - 08/07/12 10:11 AM ET

Rafalca, the dressage horse co-owned by Ann Romney, performed for the second time at the Olympics in London on Tuesday, but didn't score high enough to continue to the individual dressage final.

Ann Romney, wife of presumptive GOP nominee for president Mitt Romney, was on hand in the VIP section to give Rafalca a standing ovation. Rafalca's rider is co-owner Jan Ebeling.

Romney told CBS SportsRafalca's performance was "wonderful."

"She was elegant and consistent again," Romney said. "We just love her."

Rafalca and Ebeling earned a 70.213 score on Thursday and 69.317 on Tuesday. The pair needed to be in the top 18 to advance, but their score did not earn them a place, according to CBS Sports and The Associated Press.

Ebeling told reporters after the event that he is happy the Romneys have brought so much attention to the sport, but pushed back on criticism that the sport is "elitist" or extravagant. 

"In my sport there's money, but in any sport there's money. You can't say it's an elitist sport at all. I have wonderful clients who support me and want me to succeed," Ebeling said. "If one kid picks up the sport and makes it all the way to the top, to the Olympics, I will have done my job."

Obama signs bill requiring White House to detail fiscal cliff

By Erik Wasson - 08/07/12 03:51 PM ET

President Obama on Tuesday signed a law requiring the White House budget office to reveal exactly how automatic budget cuts looming in January 2013 will be carried out.

The Sequestration Transparency Act was passed by the House in July by a 414-2 vote. The Senate approved it unanimously later in the month.

Under last August’s debt-ceiling deal, $109 billion in automatic spending cuts are to hit in January to punish politicians for failing to come up with a bipartisan deficit-reduction plan last year as part of the supercommittee process. 

The administration must issue its report to Congress in 30 days. The report will come close to the election and could focus the debate on the ballooning deficit and looming cuts to defense — two themes that Mitt Romney has been emphasizing in his campaign against Obama.

In total, sequestration will require $1 trillion in cuts over 10 years to reduce the deficit. Roughly half of those cuts would be made to defense spending.

Last week, Republicans began to pound Obama for not signing the transparency law, which was sponsored by House GOP conference head Rep. Jeb Hensarling (Texas), who had served on the supercommittee. 

Hensarling urged the president to work quickly to avoid the cuts to defense.

"The American people deserve to know how their commander in chief intends to implement half a trillion dollars in cuts to our national security, which his own secretary of Defense compared to ‘shooting ourselves in the head,' " he said.

Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) had introduced a version of the bill in the Senate.

“Although OMB [the White House Office of Management and Budget] resisted our attempts to get this information, I’m glad the administration has realized its obligation to lay out for Congress and the American people just how the sequester would be implemented,” said Sessions, the Budget Committee ranking member. 

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said the report will be needed to understand the effects on national defense and other “key domestic priorities.”

“Allowing the sequester to occur would be a failure of leadership and a failure to govern. We must work together to replace these arbitrary cuts,” he said.

Ryan noted that the House in May passed a bill to more than replace the 2013 cuts with reductions to mandatory spending.

“I urge the Senate and President Obama to follow our lead in providing an alternative to replace the harmful effects of sequestration,” Ryan said.

Obama has rejected the House solution, which slashed spending on entitlements such as food stamps, and called for a “balanced” package that includes tax increases through the ending of tax breaks, including those provided for oil companies.

Former supercommittee co-chairwoman Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) had also pushed for a version of the bill, arguing that the looming cuts to social programs have not gotten the attention they deserve.

"This new law will make sure that every member of Congress and the public understands the impact of sequestration, as well as the need to replace both the defense and non-defense cuts in a balanced and bipartisan way," she said Tuesday.

The spending sequester is part of a series of fiscal changes set for early next year that has come to be called the "fiscal cliff," since the combination of tax increases and spending cuts, if allowed to occur, would tip the economy into recession, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 

Updated at 4:26 p.m.

Veepstakes Basics

By MARK HALPERIN | August 6, 2012

I’ve covered all of these since 1992. I won’t bore you with the story of the Capital Hotel operator in Little Rock who told a source I couldn’t be disturbed and didn’t put a late-night call through. Or my meta dispute with the late, great Bob Novak about what constituted “breaking” the Jack Kemp story in 1996.

But as the hysteria mounts, keep these fundamentals in mind:

1. Romney’s advisers can manipulate the guessing game effortlessly, and they know it. Many political reporters trying to break the story will take any morsel and go with it.
2. Boston will almost certainly engage in some feints in order to build up suspense and throw the media off the scent.
3. Watch Drudge closely for both hints and feints.
4. Unless you have been directly involved in one of these, you can’t believe the number of calls and emails that will go from journalists to Romney campaign officials from now until the pick is made public, with pleas such as “My career will be hurt if I don’t break this,” “My career will be made if I break this,” and “I don’t need to break it, but please be available to confirm the story right away for me if someone else breaks it,”and, “You owe me.”
5. We’ve never had a veepstakes like this, with so much new media and social media. That gives Boston fresh opportunities, and also presents new challenges for keeping the pick a secret.
6. Just because the Romney campaign announces some future scheduled events doesn’t mean they can’t cancel them.
7. One big variable: does Boston want to keep the identity of the selectee a secret until the morning of the announcement? If so, they have to be clever about moving bodies around — unless the pick is not someone the media is currently tracking/watching.
8. If Romney calls the runner-up short-listers to tell them they aren’t being picked, he will almost certainly not tell them who he is picking.
9. Smart news organizations will track charter planes, the schedules and movements of the adult children of potential picks, hairdressers, and printers.
10. Given modern technology, the length and depth of preparation, and the ethos of the Obama campaign, Romney’s pick will be hit harder and faster than any selection ever.

Congratulations in advance to whoever breaks the story — and then let’s all channel the same level of journalistic energy and intensity to getting all four candidates to talk about how they would address the Fiscal Cliff as we have to veepstakes.

Jimmy Carter to speak by video at Dem convention

By Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

Updated 1d 5h ago

Former president Jimmy Carter won't be attending the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, but he'll address the gathering by videotape.
"Rosalynn and I regret that we will be unable to be at the Democratic Convention this year in Charlotte. However, we remain steadfast in our support for President Obama and the progress he will make in the next four years," Carter said in a statement released by the Democratic convention.

BLOG: Santorum, Rand Paul to speak at GOP even

Carter, who has spent his post-White House years devoted to humanitarian efforts, will offer "unique insights" on Obama as a global leader on Tuesday, Sept. 4, according to the statement.

Carter joins ex-Republican presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush in not attending their party confabs. Former president Bill Clinton will be on hand in Charlotte on Wednesday, Sept. 5, to formally nominate Obama for a second term.

Earlier this year, Carter created a stir when he said during anMSNBC interview that he would be "comfortable" with Mitt Romney in the White House because of some of his past positions. He had made clear that he was supporting Obama, and went on to say that he believed Romney went too far "in conservative positions to suit the average American."

Letters: Reid makes false tax return accusations

Updated 1d 2h ago

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., makes baseless and false accusations about Mitt Romney's taxes, first in an interview with The Huffington Post and then on the Senate floor ("Harry Reid's accusation fans flames over Romney's taxes"). 

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And then he tells us that a person running for president should be open and transparent. Apparently, being open and transparent applies only to conservatives.

Reid suggests that a person who doesn't pay taxes, as he claims Romney is, should not be fit for any office. But he didn't seem to show this level of concern during the tax evasion controversies involving Timothy Geithner and Charlie Rangle.

This proves once again that Reid is concerned only about such issues when the person is not a liberal Democrat.

Barry Levy; Hawthorne, Calif.

Romney should clear controversy

Someone's pants are on fire, although it's not clear whose. Is it Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's, who claims that presidential hopeful Mitt Romney hasn't paid income taxes for 10 years? Or is it Romney's, who says he has?

Letters to the editor
USA TODAY receives about 300 letters each day. Most arrive via e-mail, but we also receive submissions by postal mail and fax. We publish about 35 letters each week.
We often select comments that respond directly to USA TODAY articles or opinion pieces. Letters that are concise and make one or two good points have the best chance of being selected, as do letters that reflect the vibrant debate around the nation on a particular subject.
We aim to make the letters platform a place where readers, not just writers representing institutions or interest groups, have their say.

• How to submit letters

Enough rhetoric! It's time for Romney to either put up or shut up. Only he can put an end to all of the controversy. Time will tell who the real liar is.

JoAnn Lee Frank; Clearwater, Fla.

Faith often misunderstood

It was a refreshing and unexpected joy to read Tom Krattenmaker's On Religion column Monday ("Column: Can faith help an Olympian?").

It is obvious that Krattenmaker has exposed himself to more than the typical narrow, restrictive, misinformed and, dare I say, ignorant understanding of the Christian faith. As a pastor, I teach my congregation to clearly recognize and understand with absolute clarity that we are people of faith, not "magic." I can only ask Krattenmaker to please share his sources with his news media colleagues so we can have more fair and balanced presentations of our beloved faith.

Rev. John Allen Newman; Jacksonville

Letters: Physical education reform needed in schools

Updated 3d 3h ago

 I read with interest StudentsFirst founder Michelle Rhee's "sounding the alarm" commentary on the "harmful policies" in our educational system, but I was stunned that she didn't mention reforming physical education as a key element for our future success ("Column: Olympic effort needed for education").

We are witnessing another generation of our sedentary children becoming increasingly obese, at high risk for diabetes, negative body image and self-esteem, and plagued by attention-deficit disorder, as well as other psychological problems. We know from the work of John Ratey and others that consistent physical exercise effectively prevents and often reverses these and other chronic conditions.

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How can we not invest massively in physical education to help our current students and prevent kindergartners from becoming statistics? How can we not use our sizable fund of knowledge in exercise and its benefits to tailor physical education to individual interests, sensitivities and capacities? What do you think would happen to the focus and grades of an 8-year-old boy if you forced him to sit at his desk for an additional two hours a day in a classroom or incorporated walking, basketball and other activities into his day for two hours? Could the industrialized nations that ranked better than the USA simply have outdone us by strengthening the mind-body experience?

Eric Bachman, M.D.; Swampscott, Mass. 

Great Olympics reporting

In response to a Wednesday letter "Olympians deserve praise," I think that the reader misconstrued USA TODAY'S July 30 headline "Some Olympians coming up short."

I have been faithfully watching the Olympic Games coverage on TV, and I believe strongly that USA TODAY is doing the best job covering the Games for print and online readers. It wasn't the intention of the newspaper to bash or offend any of the participants but to celebrate their wins as well as losses, accordingly.

In my opinion, USA TODAY attempts, as best it can, to give each Olympic event fair and balanced coverage. If you read past the headlines and actually scan through the articles, you'll find the reports applaud these brave individuals for all that they do. Just like the old adage says about not judging a book by its cover, one can't always judge a story by its headline.

Tim Buege; Racine,Wis.

Letters: Do seniors realize which programs strain budget?

Updated 8/1/2012 6:37 PM

Doug Kapustin for USA TODAY

Jack Ireton-Hewitt is a 75-year-old Romney volunteer working the Republican booth at the Shippensburg, Pa., community fair.

 I am a 40-year-old man who is between both age groups featured in your article "A defining gap: Seniors for Romney, Millenials for Obama."

The positions taken by some of the seniors quoted in the article are somewhat disingenuous. How can seniors who are now receiving or soon to receive Social Security and Medicare benefits complain that government is too big? This age group by far receives more than its fair share of the federal budget. Yet to really alleviate the budget crisis, both programs are going to have to be cut. Are they advocating cutting these programs to fix the deficit? I haven't heard anyone in this age group say that.

Furthermore, one senior interviewed stated that she cannot vote for President Obama because she does not want nationalized health care for this nation. I am left to ponder: Why is a nationalized health system OK for seniors (Medicare) but not OK for all other age groups?

Alan J. Bellomo; Ebensburg, Pa.

Letters to the editor
USA TODAY receives about 300 letters each day. Most arrive via e-mail, but we also receive submissions by postal mail and fax. We publish about 35 letters each week.
We often select comments that respond directly to USA TODAY articles or opinion pieces. Letters that are concise and make one or two good points have the best chance of being selected, as do letters that reflect the vibrant debate around the nation on a particular subject.
We aim to make the letters platform a place where readers, not just writers representing institutions or interest groups, have their say.

• How to submit letters

Free speech consequences

USA TODAY reader Larry Schmidt takes exception to "people on the left (who) don't approve of free speech unless it is in line with their beliefs." He defends the Chick-fil-A president's right to espouse his religious beliefs under freedom of speech, but apparently not the rights of the detractors to organize a boycott. I find that highly hypocritical ("Matter of freedom of speech").

Free speech comes with responsibility and accountability. Try exercising unbridled free speech in the workplace and see how fast you are marched down to human resources.

If a business chooses to go public with its religious or political convictions, it is terribly naive for its supporters to think there will be no free speech repercussions in return.

Dan Shelton; Albuquerque

Letters: Concerns of communist infiltration not 'baseless'

Updated 7/30/2012 6:46 PM

In DeWayne Wickham's column "Bachmann plays risky anti-American gambit," he states that Sen. Joseph McCarthy's claims of communist infiltration of our government were "baseless."123

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123As we know now, thanks to the Venona transcripts of Soviet intelligence files, many of McCarthy's claims were almost all true, and backed up by Soviet documentation.

If Wickham cares to call things "baseless," perhaps a comparison with budgetary savings to be found in the Affordable Care Act would be more apt.

Michael Meehan; Albuquerque

Don't give in to fear

We tried McCarthyism in the 1950s. It was a dark period for our country. Back then, the boogeyman was communists. Today, Michele Bachmann and others want to revive McCarthyism using the boogeyman of Islamists ("Editorial: Bachmann's Islamist scare relaunches McCarthyism").

Letters to the editor
USA TODAY receives about 300 letters each day. Most arrive via e-mail, but we also receive submissions by postal mail and fax. We publish about 35 letters each week.
We often select comments that respond directly to USA TODAY articles or opinion pieces. Letters that are concise and make one or two good points have the best chance of being selected, as do letters that reflect the vibrant debate around the nation on a particular subject.
We aim to make the letters platform a place where readers, not just writers representing institutions or interest groups, have their say.

• How to submit letters

We ask ourselves how people in other countries let oppressors come to power. Turns out we don't need to study other countries. We only need to study ourselves. Bachmann shows what happens when winning becomes more important than anything else. When a people buy into the fear the Bachmanns of the world spread, that's when the oppressors take over and atrocities go unchecked.

Russ Johnson; Port Richey, Fla. 

Beckel betrays liberals

In the Common Ground column with Cal Thomas, the phony liberal Bob Beckel says he favors a flat tax ("Are the wealthy taxed too lightly?", The Forum, Thursday). Only right-wing politicians such as Steve Forbes favor a flat tax because it is a very regressive tax. Please get rid of Beckel. He is an insult to true liberals.

Reba Shimansky; New York City

Romney just like Bush

How long will Mitt Romney refuse to release more tax returns? We already know he has a $100 million IRA, and bank accounts in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Switzerland ("Obama presses GOP on Bush tax cut plan"). While Romney dodges questions about taxes, he blames President Obama for former president George W. Bush's disastrous policies that led to the "Great Recession."

Of course Romney supports the proposed budget from Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., giving more tax breaks to the rich, the repeal of ObamaCare and the roll-back of Wall Street regulations. Romney is like Bush on steroids! A vote for Romney is an endorsement of Bush-era policies, which mean more pain for the middle class.

Tom Minnerick; Elgin, Ill.

Marvin Hamlisch, Composed 'The Way We Were,' Dies at 68

Published: August 07, 2012 @ 5:30 am

Marvin Hamlisch, the composer and conductor best known for the torch song "The Way We Were," died in Los Angeles Monday. He was 68 years old.

Hamlisch collapsed after a brief illness, his family announced.

In a career that spanned over four decades, Hamlisch won virtually every major award: three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys, a Tony, and three Golden Globes.

Len Prince

Hamlisch composed music for more than 40 motion picture, including his Oscar-winning score and song for “The Way We Were,” and his adaptation of Scott Joplin’s ragtime music for “The Sting,” for which he received a third Oscar.

His musical scores, though intricately conceived, never drew attention to themselves. They served to complement the on-screen action, not overwhelm it -- enhancing each gesture, each glance, each moment of drama. That subtle approach allowed him to be something of a musical chameleon, easily gliding from searing dramas to off-beat comedies and making him a close collaborator to a diverse group of directors, such as Woody Allen, Steven Soderbergh and Alan J. Pakula. He would even write a James Bond theme, the sexy and stirring "Nobody Does it Better" sung by Carly Simon over the opening credits to 1977's  "The Spy Who Loved Me."

Perhaps his greatest collaboration was with Barbra Streisand, for whom he penned the signature love anthem "The Way We Were." He wrote the score for her 1996 film, "The Mirror Has Two Faces." He also served as musical director and arranger of Streisand’s 1994 concert tour and the television special, "Barbra Streisand: The Concert," for which he won two Emmys.

Also read: Barbra Streisand Remembers Marvin Hamlisch: 'A Beautiful Human Being'

In a 2010 interview with Broadway World, Hamlisch said he drew on the lovelorn masterpiece "My Funny Valentine" to write the theme song to "The Way We Were" because he wanted to capture the highs and lows of romance.

"It was all almost like a very yin-yang sort of movie," Hamlisch said. "I wanted to write something that was uplifting and positive. On the other hand, there is a tremendous amount of bitter-sweetness to that film -- and bittersweet romance -- so, it's a real duality. And that's why I think the song -- though it's in the major mode -- is quite sad."

Hamlisch's deft touch can be felt in the scores for such diverse films as “Sophie’s Choice,” “Ordinary People,” “Three Men and a Baby,” “Ice Castles,” “Take the Money and Run,” "Bananas,” “Save the Tiger,” “The Informant!” and his latest effort, “Behind the Candelabra,” an upcoming HBO film about the life of Liberace.

On Broadway, Hamlisch had a smash hit with 1975's long-running “A Chorus Line,” which received the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award. Other works such as “The Goodbye Girl” and “Sweet Smell of Success," garnered some critical praise, but were never fully embraced by audiences. But he remained busy in the theater scene, and a statement  from his publicist said Hamlisch was supposed to fly to Nashville, Tenn.

America's Power

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Published on Jul 30, 2012 by americaspower

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America's Power

August 4

Big race in Iowa tonight for the Clean Coal 88 Chevrolet. Big announcement coming here too. Stay tuned!

WE SHOULD CHALLENGE OURSELVES TO BE MORE CIVIL, LOVING, A DEMOCRACY