A new CNN/Opinion Research poll shows President Obama leading Mitt Romney by just two points among likely voters, 49% to 47%.

Josh Marshall: “If you look at the number for registered voters it’s a 9 point Obama margin. What that means is that President Obama has actually gained a bit of ground (obviously within the margin of error) on last week’s eye-popping poll showing him with a 7 point lead over Mitt Romney. But it also shows that turnout and propensity to vote are going to be the whole game going into November.”

“I’m very proud of my pro-life record, and I’ve always adopted the idea that, the position that the method of conception doesn’t change the definition of life.”

— Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), in an interview with WJHL-TV, when asked if a woman should be able to get an abortion if she’s raped.

John Avlon: “The one-time Party of Lincoln boasted the first African-American, Asian-American, Native-American, Hispanic, and popularly-elected woman senators. Now polls show Romney-Ryan will get virtually no black votes.”

“But ’twas not always thus for the GOP. Dust off your history books and you will see Republicans once had a virtual lock on the minority vote — and minority elected officials. The legacy of Lincoln was alive and well until not so long ago. Which makes the retreat of recent decades both unfortunate and ill-timed.”

President Obama responds to Mitt Romney’s joke about his birth certificate with a simple tweet:

Song of the day: Born in the U.S.A. OFA.BO/irL3ZV

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 24, 2012

New York Times: “Politicians sometimes think they can get away with saying something profoundly offensive or just plain stupid by acting like it was a joke. It never works, just like it didn’t work today when Mr. Romney shamelessly played the birther card in what seems like an increasingly desperate campaign against President Obama.”

A new OnSight Public Affairs poll in Colorado finds President Obama leading Mitt Romney by four points, 48% to 44%.

“No one has ever asked to see my birth certificate — they know that this was the place we were born and raised.”

— Mitt Romney, campaigning in Michigan.

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Parade: How has tithing [the Mormon practice of giving 10 percent of one’s income to the church] shaped your view of how we treat each other?

Ann Romney: I love tithing. When Mitt and I give that check, I actually cry.

Mitt Romney: So do I, but for a different reason.

Tom Holbrook forecasts polling bumps coming out of the conventions of 3.6 percentage points for Mitt Romney and 1.1 percentage points for President Obama.

“Right now, the two candidates are in a tight race, with Obama holding a slight advantage in the polls. Based on my bump predictions, I expect that the race will continue to be tight after the conventions but that Romney will hold a slight lead.”

Ted Cruz (R) defeated Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R) in the Republican U.S. Senate runoff, the AP reports.

“The Texas contest has become a national emblem of the GOP’s internal
tug-of-war between the establishment and the tea party and already is
the most expensive non-presidential race in the country, according to
the Center for Responsive Politics. Outside groups spent $14.4 million
in the race on top of the $32 million that the candidates spent,
including the $19 million that Dewhurst lent to his campaign.”

Dallas Morning News: “Wow, this is going to send some shockwaves through the GOP — in Texas and across the country.”

A new Obama ad makes clear that Mitt Romney would return the policies of George W. Bush: “You watched… and worried. Two wars. Tax cuts for millionaires. Debt piled up. And now we face a choice.”

The ad will run in Colorado, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, and Florida.

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Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY) announced that he is resigning from his seat immediately, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports.

In December, Davis had announced that he would not be seeking re-election but said today a “family health issue has developed that will demand significantly more of my time to assist. As a result, I cannot continue to effectively fulfill my obligations to both my office and my family. Family must and will come first.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) told the Huffington Post that a Bain Capital investor told him that Mitt Romney didn’t pay any taxes for at least a decade.

The person also told Reid that Romney’s wealth was significantly more than the $250 million estimated.

“Tellingly, neither Reid nor his office would reveal who the investor was, making it impossible to verify if the accusation is true. And as his quote makes clear, he’s uncertain if the information is accurate… But there is limited political downside to the type of open speculation that Reid is making, so long as Romney refuses to budge on the issue of his tax returns. Increasingly, other Democrats are growing more assertive in their goading.”

Mitt Romney’s campaign “is quietly laying the groundwork for a high-profile blitz of several key battleground states in the run-up to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, and Republicans briefed on the plans say it has all the trappings of a vice presidential rollout tour,” CNN reports.