“The president’s tactical errors were obvious. First, he failed to embrace his own Deficit Commission’s report and thereby yielded the high ground to the GOP on the debt issue. Second, he abandoned the bully pulpit by not calling out the tea party zealots for what they are – financial terrorists. Finally, he took the 14th Amendment alternative off the table without the slightest pressure to do so. Mr. Obama may yet get reelected in spite of his incompetence. In the meantime, he has hung congressional Democrats out to dry.”

Graham Wilson, chair of BU’s Department of Political Science and author of “Only in America? American Politics in Comparative Perspective.” Contact Wilson at 617-353-2540 or gkwilson@bu.edu

“This is more or less game, set and match to the Republican right — a stunning defeat for President Obama.”

Field position – Putnam assumes key sponsorship at Gillette Stadium, raising its profile (Boston Globe): “It’s a perceptional investment. There are lots of ancillary things that can come out of it.” Christopher Cakebread, Assistant Professor of Advertising, College of Communication

Mitt Romney, president might have Rock-y run-in (Boston Herald): “These candidates say they’re one with the common man, but then they end up at these elite playgrounds. They could have a ‘This island isn’t big enough for the two of us’ moment.” Tom Whalen, Associate Professor of Social Science, College of General Studies

Patrick hits the road campaign style (Boston Globe): ”To govern, you need to campaign. Day to day politics sure acts like its a battle, and a battle for the public.” Virginia Sapiro, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences

Does public understand debt debate? (Patriot Ledger): “Mainstream news media and the new media have been paying a lot of attention to this, so people say they are following it, but I think it’s too arcane and too political for people to really have a clear understanding as opposed to a push-button ideological understanding.” Tobe Berkovitz, Associate Professor of Advertising, College of Communication

Leaders in Congress scramble toward deal (Boston Globe): “The markets have kind of assumed that rationality would prevail. But every hour it’s seeming less and less likely that that will be the case.” Cornelius Hurley, Professor of Law, School of Law

Hospital charges $9.2 million to dead patient’s estate (ABCNews.com): “This is tragic. I think that the aim of health care might be something like…confidence that every American will get needed, competent, and timely care without having to worry about the bill when we are sick and, and without having to ever worry about losing our insurance coverage. That’s what we can get for $2.7 trillion a year.” Alan Sager, Professor of Health Policy & Management, School of Public Health

Anti-addiction drugs face more than medical issues (New Scientist): “Before any vaccine is put on the market we need to get these ethical considerations worked out. It should always be the individual’s choice to be immunized. The treatments will only be successful if the individual is motivated to quit, otherwise they will find ways to get around it.” Kathleen Kantak, Professor of Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences

Cornelius Hurley, a professor in the School of Law, is the Director of BU’s Center for Finance, Law & Policy and a former counsel to the Fed Board of Governors.  He is also a regular contributor to PoliticoArena. He can be reached at 617-353-5427, ckhurley@bu.edu, or Twitter: @ckhurley

Graham Wilson, chair of BU’s political science department and the author of “Only in America? American Politics in Comparative Perspective.” He can be reached at 617-353-2540 or gkwilson@bu.edu

Laurence Kotlikoff, professor of economics, is an expert in macroeconomics and fiscal and monetary policy. He is the author of “Jimmy Stewart Is Dead: Ending the World’s Ongoing Financial Plague With Limited Purpose Banking.” He is also a regular contributor to Bloomberg. He can be reached at 617-353-4002 or kotlikoff@bu.edu

Daniel Berman, a professor in the School of Law, is the Director of  the Graduate Tax Program. He is an expert in tax policy and tax legislation. He can be reached at 617-353-3105 or bermand@bu.edu

Tom Whalen, an associate professor of social sciences, is an expert in American politics and the American presidency. He is also a regular contributor to PoliticoArena. He can be reached at 978-888-3131 or tjw64@comcast.net

Michael Harper, a professor at BU’s School of Law, is a leading authority in the area of labor and employment law, and sports law. He can be reached at 617-353-4422 or mconradh@bu.edu

Frank Shorr, a senior lecturer in journalism at BU’s College of Communication, is an expert in sports media and broadcasting. He can be reached at 617-353-5163 or fshorr@bu.edu

Bailout in Greece

After a deal, only more challenges (New York Times): “This is the Europeanization of the Greek debt. Everyone prefers to have Europe as their counterparty rather than Greece.” Perry Mehrling, visiting professor, School of Law, and a senior fellow at the Center for Finance, Law, & Policy.

Rupert Murdoch & News Corp.

News Corp. announces new code of ethics. Will it make a difference? (Christian Science Monitor): “It will be interesting to see what kind of enforcement measures Murdoch and his staff are talking about, and how exactly they intend to put them into action.” Elizabeth Mehren, Professor of Journalism, College of Communication

Rupert Murdoch testifies before Parliament (WGBH-TV “Greater Boston“): “The culture was get the story at all costs and that seemed to have just permeated to every level. It’s really unfathomable that the top editor wouldn’t have had at some point asked the question of how are you getting this.” Tom Fiedler, Dean of the College of Communication

News Corp. board should be replaced (Bloomberg Television): “There’s no question the Murdochs are key people because nothing is going to happen without their approval but beyond that I think the independent directors hold the key.” James Post, Professor of Management, School of Management

Murdoch struggles for control as scandal grows (Bloomberg): “The shell of invulnerability that Rupert Murdoch had around him has cracked. His credibility and the company’s credibility are hemorrhaging.” James Post, Professor of Management, School of Management

Murdoch scandal coming to U.S.? (WBZ-TV): “The scandal could potentially place at risk Murdoch’s ownership of TV stations in 18 U.S. cities, including Boston.” Tobe Berkovitz, Associate Professor of Advertising, College of Communication

Japan women win World Cup

Japan’s character seen in women’s World Cup victory (CNN.com): “The women’s performance illustrated some key qualities of Japanese society: hard work and resilience. It wasn’t only skills that got them close…It’s the effort that counts. The women were jubilant that they’d gotten that far. They believe in will, showing when we put our minds to something, we can do it.” Merry White, Professor of Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences

Possible MA Senate run by Elizabeth Warren

Senate run not off the table for Warren (Washington Post): “Warren’s name recognition might not carry to her home state. You guys in Washington know her very well. But I’m wondering whether or not the rank-and-file vote…is going to be aware of who she is.” Fred Bayles, Associate Professor of Journalism, College of Communication

Elizabeth Warren may be ‘wild card’ in senate race (Boston Herald): “Politics is about getting even. That would be something to see.” Tom Whalen, Associate Professor of Social Science, College of General Studies

“The debt ceiling is the tea party’s war of choice just as Iraq was Bush’s war of choice.

“Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has gotten a lot of mileage out of mischaracterizing the issue by saying the U.S. doesn’t have a revenue crisis, it has a spending crisis. However, as Martin Wolf pointed out in a recent Financial Times op-ed, revenue as a percent of U.S. GDP was 18.2 at the end of Ronald Reagan’s terms (sans wars) versus 14 percent today (avec wars). So, yes Virginia, it is a revenue problem and a spending problem.

“Most economists will tell you that if the U.S. went cold turkey on spending right now, the impact on the economy would be simply awful. For example, in June the Fed at its FOMC meeting was discussing a new round of monetary stimulus. Radical fiscal measures would be the anti-stimulus. Simply stated, the debt ceiling is a long-term issue and the deficit is a short-term issue.

“So why threaten to blow up the economy now? Well, as they say, there’s no zeal like that of a new convert and the same folks who applauded multiple debt ceiling increases, two wars and an unfunded prescription drug benefit, have gotten religion. If the tea partiers are nothing else, they’re zealous.

“Again, quoting from Wolf, the tea party has an unstated motto: “Fiat justitia, et pereat mundus” – let right be done even if the world perishes. But they’re not even right on the issue. So why do the rest of us have to drink their “no taxes” Kool Aid? Hang tough, Mr. President!”

Contact Cornelius Hurley at 617-353-5427, ckhurley@bu.edu, Twitter: @ckhurley

Contact Cornelius Hurley, 617-353-5427, ckhurley@bu.edu, Twitter: @ckhurley

Tomorrow: Tobe Berkovitz weighs in on this issue

“With Lagarde taking over the helm of the IMF, the global financial system finally has a spokesperson with the intelligence and the communications skills to articulate the grave threats facing us. It could not have taken place at a more opportune time.

“To date, ideologues in the U.S. and Europe have waged their sophomoric battles — witness the Greek and U.S. debt crises — without adult supervision. I believe Ms. Lagarde is up to the task.”

Contact Hurley at ckhurley@bu.edu or 617-353-5427.

“The unanimous part of the decision was persuasive and totally predictable from the day the litigation was first brought. It was simply bad public-interest lawyering to frame the class action as it was framed.

“The result was some very troublesome language in the 5-4 part of Justice Scalia’s decision, language that could make the litigation of even well-framed Title VII class actions more difficult in the future.

“Five of the justices clearly were hostile to the case on the merits and joined in a broad decision to avoid a remand. This is the unfortunate result of over reaching by the plaintiffs’ lawyers.”

Contact Michael Harper, 617-353-4422, mconradh@bu.edu