Every day we ask influential politicos to send us their top three bullet points that are driving the day's conversation inside and outside Washington.

RedState.Com Editor Erick-Woods Erickson:

– Eric Cantor and Jon Kyl have pulled out of deficit talks with Vice President Biden over the issue of taxes. This is causing the media to ignore the bigger story — both the Democrats and Republicans think $2 trillion in cuts over 10 years is serious.

– Barack Obama announced last night he would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in Afghanistan. The White House wants us all to know that neither Robert Gates, nor Hillary Clinton, nor David Petraeus like his plan to draw down troops from Afghanistan, but by God we're going to do it anyway. Barack Obama is King Solomon, if only the baby had actually been split.

– Republicans on Capitol Hill seem to be having leadership problems on a number of issues, from patents to the budget. The longer the GOP Presidential field stays chaotic, the longer Republicans on Capitol Hill will stay chaotic.

Senior Editor of MarioWire.com Mario Solis-Marich:

– Late to the Game: The self declared sophisticated people of the big apple are poised to allow equal marriage rights regardless of sexual orientation today – too bad New Yorkers, like gay characters kissing on TV people, only notice the first few.

– Skin in the Game: Legislators in California are experiencing a dock in pay for not providing a timely state budget, while the irreplaceable daily pay loss provision has caused anger among the state lawmakers it has had the desired effect of binging them back to the table, now how about tying Congresses pay to the national unemployment rate?

– Changing the Game: Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas came out of the shadows this week and revealed that he is an undocumented American as a stand in on behalf of young people who, like him, were brought to this country as children – reaffirming that the courage to risk all for the freedom of others remains a core American value.

Editor’s Note: The blog is a place for a freewheeling exchange of ideas and opinions. CNN does not endorse anything said by its contributors.