President Obama's core message in his Wednesday press conference, his first since March, could be found in his advice to Republicans. "Are you willing to compromise your kids' safety so some corporate-jet owner can get a tax break?'"

Barack Obama is obviously scrambling in his attempt to win re-election. He has proclaimed himself the underdog and has given up his pretense of being a pragmatic centrist compromiser in favor of harsh class warfare rhetoric. But it's worth taking note of what he has squandered.

When you count contributions not only to the Obama campaign but also to the Democratic National Committee--and you focus not just on the last reporting quarter but on the full campaign cycle so far, you find that Obama has raised more from the financial services industry than all the Republican presidential candidates put together.

The most egregious factual omission by "When Mitt Romney Came to Town" is that quite often when Romney came to town some pretty good things happened.

The supercommittee appears to be headed toward failure. And this may be precisely what the Democrats want.

In the coming weeks and months, as the debt ceiling debate rages and new budget battles arise, we will hear more and more class-warfare rhetoric about corporate jets, miserly rich people, and the need for higher taxes. Free-enterprise advocates must be ready to make a three-part case.

Daniels' message, based on his new book, "Keeping the Republic," is important, one that every presidential candidate should heed--because it was about a looming issue that Barack Obama has so far decided to duck but that one of them, if he is elected, may have to confront.

Now Pew Research has come out with figures for 2011. They're not good news for Barack Obama and the Democrats.