On the Trail: Week of July 26

GOP candidates intensify their attacks.

Barack Obama - Obama 2012 is reportedly preparing to make Republican frontrunner and likely nominee Mitt Romney a huge target by attacking his character and business background, Politico reports.  The campaign will highlight a "weirdness factor" and Romney's record as CEO of Bain Capitol, a consulting firm that created and eliminated jobs. The campaign will allegedly take notes from the political playbook employed by former President George W. Bush when he beat Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry in 2004.

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Barack Obama - President Obama is taking a temporary leave from the campaign trail and has pledged to remain in Washington until a debt ceiling deal has been reached. He did, however, take time to address the National Council of La Raza during its annual conference on Monday. Obama told the group that he understands they're frustrated by immigration reform's slow pace.(Photo: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Newt Gingrich - Republican Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich during a campaign stop in New Hampshire on Monday accused President Obama of attempting to blackmail Congress into raising the debt ceiling, The Associated Press reports. In addition, he predicted that an "Obama default" would follow the "Obama recession." (Photo: AP Photo/Jim Cole)

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Newt Gingrich - Republican Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich during a campaign stop in New Hampshire on Monday accused President Obama of attempting to blackmail Congress into raising the debt ceiling, The Associated Press reports. In addition, he predicted that an "Obama default" would follow the "Obama recession." (Photo: AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Jon Huntsman - Jon Huntsman is learning that civility doesn't attract much attention or support. Obama's former ambassador to China has replaced his campaign manager, who resigned last week, with longtime political operative Matt David, who worked on Sen. John McCain's presidential bid. The Washington Post reports, in the next few weeks the campaign will target Mitt Romney by highlighting his record on job creation and flip-flops on key issues.

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Jon Huntsman - Jon Huntsman is learning that civility doesn't attract much attention or support. Obama's former ambassador to China has replaced his campaign manager, who resigned last week, with longtime political operative Matt David, who worked on Sen. John McCain's presidential bid. The Washington Post reports, in the next few weeks the campaign will target Mitt Romney by highlighting his record on job creation and flip-flops on key issues.

Tim Pawlenty - He’s out. After his poor showing at the Ames straw poll, Tim Pawlenty read the tea leaves and ended his presidential bid on Sunday.(Photo: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

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Tim Pawlenty - Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty continued to jab presidential rival Rep. Michele Bachmann. In an interview on CNN last week he said, "These are really serious times and there hasn't been somebody who went from the U.S. House of Representatives to the presidency, I think, in over a hundred years, and there’s a reason for that." There's also a reason why Pawlenty continues to target fellow Minnesotan. He trails her in the polls, averaging 2.8 percent, while Bachmann is consistently in second place behind frontrunner Mitt Romney. (Photo: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

Charles "Buddy" Roemer - Former congressman and Louisiana Gov. Charles "Buddy" Roemer entered the GOP presidential nominating race on July 21. Roemer, who won't accept campaign donations above $100, said his campaign would focus on unfair foreign trade practices that force U.S. jobs overseas and campaign financing. Roemer's campaign slogan is "Free to Lead."(Photo: AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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Charles "Buddy" Roemer - Former congressman and Louisiana Gov. Charles "Buddy" Roemer entered the GOP presidential nominating race on July 21. Roemer, who won't accept campaign donations above $100, said his campaign would focus on unfair foreign trade practices that force U.S. jobs overseas and campaign financing. Roemer's campaign slogan is "Free to Lead."(Photo: AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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Mitt Romney - Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney is taking advantage of high unemployment figures to attack President Obama on the issue of jobs. Romney may want to tread lightly because his record on job creation during his tenure as governor of Massachusetts is nothing to brag about. The state ranked 47th on the issue and nonfarm payrolls increased by a mere one percent when he was in office.(Photo: AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

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Mitt Romney - Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney is taking advantage of high unemployment figures to attack President Obama on the issue of jobs. Romney may want to tread lightly because his record on job creation during his tenure as governor of Massachusetts is nothing to brag about. The state ranked 47th on the issue and nonfarm payrolls increased by a mere one percent when he was in office.(Photo: AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

Photo By Photo: AP Photo/Reed Saxon

Rick Santorum - Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum doesn't like Texas Gov. Rick Perry's position on gay marriage. Perry, who is weighing whether to throw his hat into the Republican presidential race, said on Friday that states should be able to decide whether they want to allow gay marriage. (Photo: AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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Rick Santorum - Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum doesn't like Texas Gov. Rick Perry's position on gay marriage. Perry, who is weighing whether to throw his hat into the Republican presidential race, said on Friday that states should be able to decide whether they want to allow gay marriage. (Photo: AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)