This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Obama, Romney back on the trail. Mitt loves Marriotts. 57 days to the election.

Happy Monday. So, apparently, it's come down to this. In Virginia Beach, Mitt Romney capitalized on the Democrats decision to remove and then replace mention of God in their platform, using the opportunity to offer a speech laden with religious arguments. [Examiner] [Politico]

-> In response, President Barack Obama's campaign aides say that the president is as likely to remove God from coins as it is that "aliens will attack Florida." [Politico]

Topping the news: Romney says he would not eliminate all facets of Obama's healthcare reform. [BusinessWeek] [HuffPo] [Politico]

-> Where does Romney bed down on the campaign trail? A Marriott for the most part. [Trib]

Today's news: Special interest money flows to incumbent lawmakers in the state Legislature, making them the instant front-runners in the money race. [Trib]

-> Paul Rolly says Gov. Gary Herbert has a plan to help fix the morale problems with state prison workers. [Trib]

-> The LDS Church's new "politically diverse" ads look a lot like state Sen. Ben McAdams' ads. [UtahPolicy]

Tweet of the day: From @BrettLoGiurato: "Keep in mind, again, that any polls you see today were taken BEFORE Joe Biden held a biker lady in his lap." Must see reference here: [Fox].

Happy Birthday: to Marco Diaz and Justin Wiley.

Opinion section: Pat Bagley offers his take on the Democrats post-convention bounce. [Trib]

-> Frank Pignanelli and LaVarr Webb offer their take on the GOP convention. [DNews]

-> Marco Diaz explains why he is a Republican. [Trib]

-> Ex-Sen. Bob Bennett says that the president offered hope but no change during his convention speech. [DNews]

-> Ray Ward thinks that Utah should embrace Medicare expansion. [Trib]

-> Barb Guy says she is proud to be a Democrat because of the party's generous mentality. [Trib]

2012 watch: Obama and Romney should keep their eyes on five deciding factors: the electoral map, advertising, debates, ballots and fundraising. [NYTimes]

-> In an online Reuters/Ipsos poll released Sunday, Obama showed a 4 percent lead. [Reuters]

-> On Sunday's Meet the Press, Ann Romney said it is "ridiculous" to say that the Romneys are unable to empathize with Americans who struggle financially. [Politico]

-> Obama says Romney and Paul Ryan are using bad math in their attacks against his tax plan. [APviaDNews]

-> A GOP Senate takeover looks less likely every day. [Politico]

-> Romney struggles in battleground territories. [WSJ]

-> Larry Flynt, the publisher of Hustler magazine, is offering $1 million dollars to anyone who can provide him with documents related to Romney's unreleased tax returns. [CNN]

-> Obama asked a Hawaiian-born 7-year-old if he had a birth certificate to prove it while at an Orlando, Fla. pit stop. [APviaWaPost]

Weekend in review: Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice spoke at a Mia Love fundraising event, saying Love will bring the right values to Washington. [Trib] [DNews]

-> The founder of Utah's Wasatch Brewing company plans to produce the White House's homemade beer, dubbing it "El Presidente Honey Ale." [Trib]

-> Utah Republicans were given more time in the spotlight at the RNC than the state's democrats were at the DNC. [Trib]

-> At The Salt Lake Tribune, we fact check comments and acts. [Trib]

Where are they?

Gov. Gary Herbert takes a personal day.

Lt. Gov. Greg Bell hits a noon meeting with the Immigration Commission before meeting with Dave Buhler, commissioner of Higher Education.

SL Co. Mayor Peter Corroon meets with SLC Mayor Ralph Becker.

SLC Mayor Ralph Becker attends an "Idle Free" awareness kick-off event, followed by the meeting with Corroon.

WVC Mayor Mike Winder meets with Questar executives.

President Barack Obama has no scheduled public events.

Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com. If you haven't already, sign up for our weekday email and get this sent directly to you inbox. [Trib]

— Thomas Burr and Betsy BlanchardTwitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/betsyblanchard