The Weekend Word: Tax Day September 22, 2012, 9:45 am On Friday, Mitt Romney made public his most recent tax return and some information from previous years, responding to political pressure and asserting that he paid a double-digit federal income tax rate for more than two decades, Nicholas Confessore and David Kocieniewski report. President Obama and Representative Paul D. Ryan made back-to-back appearances at the AARP convention on Friday, each insisting his opponent's policies would threaten the future of Medicare, Mark Landler and Richard A. Oppel Jr. report. The crowd gave a better reception to Mr. Obama than to Mr. Ryan, who was met with boos at his suggestion of repealing the new health care law. The Senate passed a stopgap spending measure, and then lawmakers headed home until ballots are cast in the November elections, Jonathan Weisman reports. And Congress lurched to the exits the way it started - amid partisan acrimony and backbiting even within the parties. A special investigator has ruled that Representative Maxine Waters, Democrat of California, did not violate House ethics rules for her involvement during the financial crisis, clearing the way for her to become the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, Eric Lipton reports. Her chief of staff is now the primary focus of an inquiry by the House Ethics Committee. Though pop culture references have become a campaign fixture, President Obama and Mitt Romney's love for the television show "Modern Family" comes with a few politically sensitive elements likely to alienate both the liberal and conservative bases, Alessandra Stanley writes. In this week's address, President Obama criticized Congress for recessing when "their work isn't finished." He blamed their absence for the lack of a farm bill, legislation that would have helped homeowners and small businesses, and a bill that sought to set up a job corps for veterans. "All of these ideas would strength our economy and help the middle class right now," he said. That's why, after going home and listening to their constituents for a few weeks, members of congress should come back in November and do this work. Representative Todd Akin, Republican of Missouri, may have found a few friends to support his Senate campaign after much of his party shunned him for making inflammatory comments about rape. The Hill says that Senator Jim DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, is considering financially supporting Mr. Akin's campaign, and Politico reports that Newt Gingrich will host a joint news conference with him on Monday and attend a fund-raiser for Mr. Akin. Three senators made cameos on the NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation" on Thursday, Politico reports. Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, Senator Olympia Snowe, Republican of Maine, and Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, acted alongside Amy Poehler, whom some may remember for her impersonation of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on "Saturday Night Live" during the 2008 elections. Michelle Obama will deliver remarks at an awards dinner for the Congressional Black Caucus. The Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition will be held in the National Museum of Natural History this weekend. The event will also feature a "Women, Music and Diplomacy" gala honoring Madeleine K. Albright, former secretary of state. The Library of Congress will host the National Book Festival on the National Mall.