President Goes on the Attack Early

President Barack Obama has sharpened his line of attack against Republicans during a West Coast swing and injected himself into the GOP presidential-nomination fight, setting aside his plans to stay out of the 2012 campaign until an opponent is selected.

At a fund-raiser in Silicon Valley on Sunday, Mr. Obama took direct aim at one of his potential rivals, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, criticizing his skepticism that there is a human connection to global warming. Mr. Obama also suggested in Seattle that Republican leadership would "cripple" the nation's economic future.