RUBBER, MEET ROAD: White House putting off release of budget update. “The White House is being forced to acknowledge the wide gap between its once-upbeat predictions about the economy and today’s bleak landscape. . . . The release of the update – usually scheduled for mid-July – has been put off until the middle of next month, giving rise to speculation the White House is delaying the bad news at least until Congress leaves town on its August 7 summer recess. The administration is pressing for votes before then on its $1 trillion health care initiative, which lawmakers are arguing over how to finance.”