The Early Word: Offshore - NYTimes.com October 2, 2012, 6:00 am The Early Word: Offshore Mitt Romney's tax returns show that offshore arrangements made through his former company, Bain Capital, used tax-avoidance strategies that have enhanced his income, Michael Luo and Mike McIntire report. Other offshore arrangements also enabled his individual retirement account to avoid taxes and may have reduced his personal income tax bills. After Mr. Romney called for the repeal of the Dodd-Frank Act, which expanded the government's whistle-blower program in the financial services industry, President Obama's re-election campaign has received generous donations from lawyers who have reaped multimillion-dollar rewards from taking on the cases of those who have stepped forward to point out wrongdoing, Eric Lipton reports. A ballot measure in California would prohibit both corporations and labor unions from donating to candidates, but the corporate provision is far less stringent than the one aimed at unions, Adam Nagourney reports. Labor leaders see the measure as the biggest threat they have faced in a year of nationwide challenges to diminish their power. Looking ahead to the post-election session of Congress, Senate leaders are working on a framework for a comprehensive long-term approach to reducing the deficit rather than a short-term solution, Jonathan Weisman reports. While such an agreement would avert a series of automatic tax increases and deep spending cuts, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate remain far apart on the details of how the process would work, while House Republicans continue to resist any discussion of tax increases. Mr. Romney's campaign seems to be shifting course, choosing not to focus solely on the nation's economic struggles and instead drawing a sharper distinction between his platform and the president's, Michael D. Shear and Ashley Parker report. Moderating a presidential debate, a role that once stood as a crowning and coveted journalistic achievement, is now subject to partisan rancor in a hyperpoliticized climate, Jeremy W. Peters writes. Moderators have been deemed fair game for criticism before they have asked even a single question.