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:

– Washington Democrats and some Republicans are absolutely intent on blaming the tea party movement for the credit downgrade, but the fact remains that those wishing to blame the tea party movement are the people who would have gladly raised the debt ceiling without ever contemplating cuts to spending.

– The President has reached the end of his rhetorical abilities. Having called together everyone to watch him speechify yesterday, he put everyone off for an hour. He set the time. Let's not forget that. And then when he spoke the market crashed. Did the market ignore him? Maybe. But more probably, it did not like what he had to say. Why? Because it was nothing new, just the same old failed policies he's been promoting all along.

– Yes, it is true. It appears Governor Rick Perry of Texas will make an announcement about running for president this Saturday in Charleston, S.C. at the RedState Gathering. Then perhaps the field will be settled.

Senior Political Columnist for TheDailyBeast.com John Avlon:

– Market Crash: Elections and the economy are always intertwined, and the post-downgrade sell-off has dramatic implications for the White House and the GOP candidates. We’re still 16 months out from 2012, but Obama has an economic millstone around his neck. However, the GOP nominees have yet to offer anything resembling a responsible alternative.

– Iowa: The next GOP debate is on Thursday and the Ames straw poll is on Saturday. I just returned from four days in Iowa and here’s what the buzz is on the ground: Look for Bachmann and Pawlenty to battle it out for first and second place. Bachmann has the buzz but Pawlenty has the ground game – and he’ll be swinging in this debate at Romney and Bachmann. Ron Paul is likely to come in third. The talk in Iowa wasn’t the stock market or even the downgrade – it’s all politics and the dissatisfaction toward the current GOP field is a constant topic of conversation.

– The Joint Commission: The most important decisions over the next week will be the composition of the joint special commission that will aim to reduce the deficit by $1.5 trillion. Members of the gang of 6 ought to be natural fits, but congressional insiders say that the leadership will not want to reward their independence. But that kind of collegial experience in dealing with the deficit and the debt is what we need. The Bowles-Simpson commission and the hang of 6 offer a policy template. What the country needs now are appointees who can reason together – ideologues and hyper-partisans are the problem, not the solution. And then maybe, just maybe, we can deal with the underlying problem through tax reform and entitlement reform.

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