Toni Sandys/AP Photo

Mitt Romney facing off with former rivals Rick Santorum and Ron Paul during a 2011 Republican debate in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Mitt Romney has done a lot of damage to himself over the last month. He didn't receive a convention bump — he can partially blame Clint Eastwood's improv sketch for that. The former Massachusetts governor came under fire for criticizing the president's response to Libya. Then came the infamous "47 percent video" in which he insulted nearly half the country. This Wednesday marks the first presidential debate, and Romney has to do well if he wants to save his candidacy.

Team Romney has reportedly been practicing a handful of "zingers" to throw at President Obama during the debates. A zinger, or "burn," is a quick, witty retort used by both insult comics and presidential candidates alike to knock their opponent off balance. The idea is to make Obama look smug without making Romney look bad himself.

Over the last few weeks both the president's surrogates and Romney's (with the exception of Chris Christie) have downplayed each candidates' debate skills. With a new Washington Post/ABC News poll showing the majority of the country feels President Obama will win the first debate, prompting the president's re-election team to manage expectations. Even Obama himself said at a campaign rally over the weekend that Romney was "a good debater" and that he was only "just okay." Over at the GOP nominee's campaign office, it seems they're following the same playbook. Paul Ryan went on Fox News Sunday this weekend and basically said the same exact thing about Romney. Ryan said, "President Obama is a very gifted speaker...he's an experienced debater. This is Mitt's first time." 

Paul Ryan may be attempting to lower expectations, but who is he kidding? This isn't Romney's first time. Yes, this will be the first time Romney has been on stage one-on-one with Obama, but this isn't his first debate, he knows the score. During the GOP primary, Romney participated in 20 debates, some of which he did well, and others...not so much. 

Romney's problem lies in his inability to humanize himself.  Every time he makes a joke, or veers off message to attack his opponent he ends up in a political ditch. Want proof? During one of his exchanges with Rick Perry, the former-Massachusetts Governor offered to make a $10,000 bet to prove the Texas governor wrong. In another debate, Romney tried to crack a joke with CNN's Wolf Blitzer which received silence from the audience. In yet another debate, Romney got flustered and started shouting at Rick Perry to "let me talk."

The Romney campaign is most likely taking every precaution to make sure situations like these don't happen Wednesday night. However, practicing zingers, burns or one-liners alone probably aren't going to beat Obama, who remained pretty calm during the 2008 debates, but it's a lot better than what Donald Trump wants him to do.

Mandel Ngan/Getty Images

Mitt Romney on the campaign trail Wednesday in Bedford Heights, Ohio.

Hey Mitt Romney, can I talk to you for a second?

Look, we're less than six weeks away from election day and the poll numbers aren't good. They're really not good at all. According to the latest New York Times/CBS/Quinnipiac poll, you're down in Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio. I know your campaign doesn't pay attention to outside polls, and hey I totally get that. But people are starting to talk. Not only are conservatives within the Republican Party starting to talk, it seems the voters are as well...

Let's talk poll numbers. The Romney-Ryan ticket is losing to President Obama in key swing states, but what makes these numbers so remarkable is that the gap between the candidates is slowly but surely turning into a canyon. In Florida, Obama leads, 53 to 44 percent. In Pennsylvania, the president is crushing you by 12 points, 54 to 42 percent. 

And what about the Team Romney bus tour through Ohio? You're trailing the president by 10 points in the Buckeye State, 53 to 43 percent. And speaking of polls, Bloomberg released a new survey that shows Obama ahead by a six point margin nationally, 49 to 43 percent.   

These poll numbers come on the heels of a the now infamous "47 percent" video released last week. Looking at these numbers, and your latest television ad looking right into the camera (let's be honest, a tactic saved for when a candidate is in trouble) it's clear this foot-in-mouth disease is having an effect on the electorate.

So governor, you've got a little under six weeks left to turn this thing around. As Ed Rendell advised today on MSNBC, you've got to move up while the president is moving down in order to win. 

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo

President Obama chatting with seven-year-old Andre Wupperman on Saturday in Orlando, Florida.

While campaigning in Florida over the weekend President Obama dropped in on patrons at Gator's Dockside Restaurant in Orlando. Speaking with a table of 10 people, the president was introduced to seven-year-old Andre Wupperman who was born in Hawaii. After hearing this, Obama raised the shaka, a surfer greeting, to the boy and said, "You were born in Hawaii? You have a birth certificate?" 

Everyone at the table laughed, but one can assume birthers are shaking their fists somewhere. The president's got jokes. The president don't care.

Nati Harnik/AP Photo

Mitt Romney at a campaign stop in Orange City, Iowa on Friday.

It doesn't appear that Mitt Romney is going to make a play for independent voters any time soon. The GOP nominee gave a ringing endorsement of Republican Congressman Steve King during a speech in Orange City, Iowa.

"I'm looking here at Steve King...He needs to be your Congressman again," Romney declared during his speech at Northwestern College. "I want him as my partner in Washington!"

Romney, possibly the next president of the United States, wants Steve King as his partner in Washington. Not Stephen King, but Steve King — a hardline conservative who once suggested that U.S. immigration policy should be more like picking dogs out of a litter. A man who just last month defended Todd Akin's assertion that the female body had ways of staving off pregnancy during rape. The Iowa congressman also has the distinction of saying this: "The argument that diversity is our strength has really never been backed up by logic." 

Apparently the feeling is mutual because when King took the stage he praised his party's nominee by saying, "Don't doubt this man's faith. Don't doubt his convictions." Speaking to one of the most conservative communities in the Hawkeye State, King added, "Do not doubt his patriotism or his faith and his love for Jesus Christ our savior."

Although both Romney's and King's remarks received the approval of the 2,600 people they were speaking to, the Obama campaign immediately issued its disapproval. Spokeswoman Lis Smith responded, "And, if his speech today praising Rep. Steve King — who has questioned whether women get pregnant from rape and incest and said hateful things about immigrants — is any indication, we know he wouldn't stand up to the most strident voices in his party."

Romney's support of the Congressman arrived one day after the Democratic National Convention where he was attacked as being weak and out of touch with the American people. 

David Guralnick/AP Photo

Vice President Joe Biden (file)

Following in the footsteps of Bill Murray, Vice President Joe Biden seems to be going the party crasher route. The Obama campaign releasted a statement yesterday saying Biden would be traveling to Florida for "campaign events" next week — the same time as the Republican National Convention. So while he may not actually be at the convention, the VP will be in town, no doubt pushing the president's message as Republicans try to do the same within a few miles.

While the gaffe-prone Biden could very well become a distraction from the issues, it's just one more thing the GOP has to worry about on the eve of their convention. Between Congressman's Todd Akin's comments about rape and pregnancy, the news of Kevin Yoder skinny-dipping in the Sea of Galilee as well as a possible hurricane to contend with, the Republican party has their hands full.

Usually opposing candidates stay quiet during the other party's convention (as an excuse to take some time off and for the sake of curtesy). This year, however, both President Obama and VP Biden will be on the campaign trail as Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan accept their party's nomination. It begs the question: what will Republicans do during the DNC?  

The Republican National Convention is scheduled to take place August 27-30 (weather permitting).

J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Speaker John Boehner (file)

Congress' approval rating has hit the bottom of the barrel. Actually, one would need to lift up the barrel and dig even deeper to find someone who likes our legislative branch. In the lastest NBC News/WSJ poll, approval of Congress tied for its all-time low record of 12 percent. The last time this happened was when Democrats controlled the House of Representatives back in 2008.

These truly horrible numbers come in the wake of Representative Todd Akin's comments about "legitimate rape" and news of freshman Congressman Kevin Yoder stripping down in the Sea of Galilee during a trip to Israel last summer. Congress' dismal approval numbers also come after a year of idiotic choices and distractions. From last summer's debt ceiling fight to the refusal of House republicans last Christmas to pass a payroll tax cut extension, it's been a bumpy ride.

Not only that, but the poll's data shows that only 36 percent of voters view the GOP positively, while 42 percent approve of Democrats. Congress is now, officially, the least popular kid in school — everyone point and laugh.

Shunned by the Republican party establishment, former Senate candidate and Tea Party darling Christine (no relation) O'Donnell has decided to headline Troublemaker Fest. According to their website, the festival is a five day event that will "empower and inspire young, independent patriots to stop Barack Obama’s second term and restore Constitutional integrity to our government."

O'Donnell made headlines while running for Senate in 2010 by releasing an ad in which she stated "I'm not a witch, I'm nothing you've heard. I'm you." The ad was in response to statements she had made years earlier on Bill Mahar's now defunct Politically Incorrect. As a guest on that show, the former GOP candidate said that she "dabbled in witchcraft" but had later found God. Those clips, which Mahar played relentlessly every week, seemed to derail her election chances.  Since her 2010 loss, O'Donnell has remained quiet (despite going on Fox News to endorse Mitt Romney during the Republican primary season).

Troublemaker Fest, running from August 26-30, will coincide with the Republican National Convention.

Appearing along side Charlie Rose on CBS This Morning, Chris Rock said that he thinks the current presidential race is unfair. The star of CB4 said, "It will be interesting to see how mean they can get... It's getting really, really, really mean!"

An outspoken supporter of President Obama, the comedian continued by lamenting how dirty the race has gotten between President Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

"I wish we didn’t have to stoop to this level. I wish they made it like a real fight. I mean, we’re watching the Olympics right now, and everything is fair. So I wish both guys could only spend the exact same amount of money and let the best man win.”

Twitpic

Newt: iPad owner and satisfied customer

Former House Speaker and self-described tortoise Newt Gingrich stepped into an Apple store, today. The one-time Republican presidential candidate entered the Georgetown Apple store with a broken iPad and left with satisfaction of great times and good service from the Genius Bar. Thanking his Apple geniuses Jim and Ryan, Newt tweeted:

Classy.

We miss you Newt. Come back soon.

Rex Features/AP images

File

Jenna Jameson, the former "Queen of Porn",  is really looking forward to having a Republican back in the White House. The one-time porn star is hoping that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney can beat President Obama this November and usher in a new era of Republican policies that will be good for people like her (i.e. rich people).

While celebrating the 8th anniversary of a strip club in San Francisco (yes, really), Jameson told a CBS reporter, "I'm very looking forward to having a Republican back office. " This endorsement of Romney is a shift from her 2008 endorsement of then Senator Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primary - proving that Mitt Romney's five point plan and support of tax cuts for the top 1% does have its appeal.

Although she has appeared in PETA ads and supported Clinton four years ago, Jameson explained, "When you're rich you want a Republican in office."

Charles Krupa/AP Photo

President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara (file)

Former President George H.W. Bush, now 88, has something to say to those who are unwilling to compromise — specifically to Grover Norquist and those who sign his tax pledge. 

"The rigidity of those pledges is something I don't like," the former president said in an interview with PARADE. "The circumstances change and you can't be wedded to some formula by Grover Norquist. It's — who the hell is Grover Norquist, anyway?"

At this point, former first lady Barbara Bush interjected, "I think he ought to go back to Alaska [laughs]." This being a reference to a comment she made about Sarah Palin in 2010.

During the 1988 presidential campaign, Bush made a very bold campaign pledge not to raise taxes on the American people. Once he was elected, however, Bush 41 made the choice of compromising with the Democratic-controlled Congress in order to tackle the country's deficit. In doing so, the president broke his famous campaign pledge and alienated members of the Republican party establishment. 

Mrs. Bush summed up their relationship as that of father and son saying, "I think he thinks of George as the father he never had. Truthfully. I mean that as a compliment. He's been very thoughtful about calling and he's a good fellow." 

Associated Press J.Scott Applewhite

File.

It's official: the Department of Justice will not prosecute Attorney General Eric Holder for contempt of Congress. In a letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner, Deputy Attorney General James Cole  wrote, "we will not prosecute an executive branch official under the contempt of Congress statute for withholding subpoenaed documents pursuant to a presidential assertion of executive privilege."  

The letter comes less than 24 hours after members of the House of Representatives voted to hold the Attorney General in contempt over his refusal to turn over documents related to the "Fast and Furious" gun running operation. Cole's letter goes on to cite two other instances (first in the Reagan and later the George W. Bush administrations) in which the DOJ took a similar position, arguing that the contempt statue doesn't apply to the president's claim of executive privilege.

In refusing to prosecute his boss, Cole states Holder's action, "does not constitute a crime." While the Justice Department won't be sending this case to the grand jury, Republicans (and a few Democrats) in the House have the opportunity to file a civil suit against Holder.

All of this comes on the heels of President Obama's Supreme Court victory on healthcare. The timing of Holder's contempt vote leads some to argue that this was a political move spearheaded by House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa. This also comes two days after Fortune Magazine published a blistering article on the Fast and Furious operation, claiming that members of the GOP are blowing the gun running operation out of proportion.

In either case, it's not surprising that the DOJ will not prosecute Holder. There's obvious precedent and, really, who wants to make their boss angry by taking them to court?