After a weekend of difficult news on many fronts – stock market drops, the credit rating downgrade, awful news in Afghanistan – the president will be returning to what he does best:

No policy events on Pres. Obama’s public schedule today – but he is doing two more fund-raisers this evening for his re-election campaign.

Of course. The markets are probably in for another terrifying day. His allies spent the weekend insisting that a grassroots movement and a House majority that took office in January are responsible for the credit downgrade.

The first fundraiser is at an unspecified private residence in Washington; the second is at the St. Regis Hotel — where rooms range from $425 to $1,425 per night. I wonder if any of his donors’ portfolios will have had a rough day.