SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:06 P.M. ET:

MORRIS DISSENTS – Political analyst Dick Morris, in both a column and an appearance on Fox News, claimed today that many of the polling stories published by the mainstream media are not telling a straight story, and that Romney is clearly gaining.  Morris claims he has seen major polling by an organization he respects that shows the momentum is with Mitt.  We hope he's right, but Morris has a very mixed record of predictions.  Other pundits believe that Obama has the edge, if only to a slight degree.

THE NERVE – Some politicians and journalists in India are trying to blame the United States, as a nation, for the Wisconsin murders yesterday, which took place in a Sikh temple.  The Sikh religion is very strong in India.  It's crazy to blame this country for the actions of a deranged individual, but it's being done.  The State Department is trying to calm feelings, which have erupted into protests in several Indian cities.

ROMNEY RAKES IT IN – Mitt Romney has now outraised Obama in campaign cash for the third straight month.  His campaign raised $101-million last month, compared with Obama's $75-million.  The battle for funding will extend well into the fall, as both candidates have rejected federal funds, allowing for greater private fundraising.

WISCONSIN SHOOTER WAS TRCKED – It turns out that the white supremacist who killed six people in a Wisconsin Sikh temple yesterday was well-known to anti-hate groups and had been tracked by one for more than a decade.  It also turns out he had multiple contacts with the police during a time he lived in North Carolina.  He was a musician who performed at hatefests.  And yet, he apparently was able to buy guns legally.  Once again we must ask, as we did after the Tucson shootings, why some clearly relevant information is excluded from the federal database that determines whether someone can buy a gun.  Surely, while protecting a citizen's First Amendment rights, we can take some common-sense precautions regarding individuals who raise alarming red flags.

August 6, 2012