“The most important [debate] anecdotes, aides say, may not even be family stories, but memories from his days at Bain Capital. Bain Capital’s rise from an offshoot of a consulting firm to a major power in the private-equity world is something Romney takes prides in, and his advisers hope that the candidate defines those years on his own terms.” [NRO, via TPM]

Our guest columnist is running out of options.

Dear friends and family, I have been extremely frustrated with how things are going in our country. A lot of my frustration is because I don’t know what to do to really make a change. Well, this time I do. I am asking you to join me and my family on Sunday Sept. 30 by fasting and praying for Mitt Romney. That he will be blessed in the debates, which will be held starting Oct. 3rd. I know that seems like such a small thing but I believe “from small things, great things can come about”. I know that fasting and praying brings about miracles. I also know of no power greater than our Father in Heaven.

He loves this land and has blessed it many times before… with all our fasting and prayers there will be a great power and protection upon us and this great nation. May we have the faith to fast and pray for the help we so desperately need throughout this great nation at this time.

Mormons Plan To Fast For Romney [BuzzFeed]

“This morning, Gov. and Mrs. Romney filed their 2011 tax return with the IRS. At 3:00pm today, the Romney for President campaign will be posting the 2011 return online… Also posted will be a notarized letter from the Romneys’ tax preparer, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP (PWC), giving a summary of tax rates from the Romneys’ tax returns for the 20-year period of 1990-2009.” [Romney for President]

“Mitt Romney places his trust in the American people, not in government.” —Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades, desperately hoping that nobody’s paying attention. [via email]

Classless Dems use tribute video of deceased Ted Kennedy to attack Mitt Romney.

— Reince Priebus (@Reince) September 4, 2012

NBC political “tip sheet” First Read: “Even the video tribute to Ted Kennedy was an uppercut to Romney, which led to RNC Chair Reince Priebus to express his disgust for using Kennedy from the grave in an attack.”

Looks more like whining from here, but whatever.

Our guest columnist is concerned that the latest wave of truth-telling might get out of hand.

On its opening evening in Tampa, the Republican National Convention should vote on prime-time television to denounce Akin, reject his wretched comments, disassociate the party from him, and pledge that no GOP resources will be deployed to support his campaign. Each delegation should express itself on this matter through a roll call of the states. The decision should be overwhelming, if not unanimous, against Akin.

Akin: Face the Wrath of the GOP Convention [NRO]

“This is the platform of the Republican Party; it’s not the platform of Mitt Romney.”

—Reince Priebus, deftly distracting attention from a GOP plank that calls for “legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children,” so nobody will mention it ever again.

Priebus: GOP platform ‘not the platform of Mitt Romney’ [NBC]