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Let Me Start: It's the economy, stupid

Driving the day: President Obama's speech on the economy. He's looking to re-focus the country's attention on the economy at a time when it's showing
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks at an Organizing for Action event at the Mandarin Oriental hotel July 22, 2013 in Washington, DC.  (Photo by Kristoffer Tripplaar/Pool/Getty Images)
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks at an Organizing for Action event at the Mandarin Oriental hotel July 22, 2013 in Washington, DC.

Driving the day: President Obama's speech on the economy. He's looking to re-focus the country's attention on the economy at a time when it's showing improvement. And the president has two goals: First, he wants to take some credit for the improving economy, and second, to demonstrate that he's actually shaping events and not merely being shaped by them.

The Republican Party is no longer content being the party of "no." Now they've launched an offensive against nearly everything President Obama stands for--vowing to slash funding for programs he supports. And that includes Obamacare--they say they won't even agree to a budget beyond the end of the fiscal year if even a penny is used to fund the president's signature health reform law. The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee puts it simply: “His priorities are going nowhere.”

Will New Yorkers stand behind Anthony Weiner after he admitted to sending explicit text messages even after he resigned from Congress in disgrace, and even as recently as last summer? The New York Times is joining the growing chorus of those calling for Weiner to get out of the mayor's race.