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| Obama and Romney spar over lacklustre jobs figures | Obama and Romney spar over lacklustre jobs figures |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| US President Barack Obama's hope for campaign momentum after his keynote Democratic convention speech has been stymied by disappointing jobs data. | US President Barack Obama's hope for campaign momentum after his keynote Democratic convention speech has been stymied by disappointing jobs data. |
| Mr Obama acknowledged the unemployment figures were "not good enough", a day after his curtain-closing address to his party conference in North Carolina. | Mr Obama acknowledged the unemployment figures were "not good enough", a day after his curtain-closing address to his party conference in North Carolina. |
| His Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, pounced on the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. | His Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, pounced on the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. |
| The rivals are neck and neck in opinion polls ahead of November's elections. | The rivals are neck and neck in opinion polls ahead of November's elections. |
| Friday's report showed 96,000 jobs were added in August, fewer than expected. The unemployment rate fell from 8.3% to 8.1%, but only because more people gave up looking for work. | |
| 'Hangover' | 'Hangover' |
| "That's not good enough," Mr Obama told a campaign rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. "We know it's not good enough. | "That's not good enough," Mr Obama told a campaign rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. "We know it's not good enough. |
Race to the White HouseSee more polls on our poll tracker | Race to the White HouseSee more polls on our poll tracker |
| "We need to create more jobs faster. We need to fill the hole left by this recession faster." | "We need to create more jobs faster. We need to fill the hole left by this recession faster." |
| Mr Romney kept up his campaign's focus on lambasting the president's handling of the economy. | Mr Romney kept up his campaign's focus on lambasting the president's handling of the economy. |
| "If last night was the [Democratic convention] party, this morning is the hangover," the former Massachusetts governor said in a statement. | "If last night was the [Democratic convention] party, this morning is the hangover," the former Massachusetts governor said in a statement. |
| "It is clear that President Obama just hasn't lived up to his promises and his policies haven't worked. We aren't better off than they were four years ago." | "It is clear that President Obama just hasn't lived up to his promises and his policies haven't worked. We aren't better off than they were four years ago." |
| On financial news broadcaster CNBC, Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan said: "This is not even close to what a recovery looks like." | On financial news broadcaster CNBC, Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan said: "This is not even close to what a recovery looks like." |
| Mr Obama is campaigning in the key swing states of New Hampshire and Iowa on Friday, joined by First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife. | Mr Obama is campaigning in the key swing states of New Hampshire and Iowa on Friday, joined by First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife. |
| Eastwood's chair explanation | |
| Mr Romney will exchange places with Mr Obama later in the day and campaign in Nashua, New Hampshire. His running mate will be in Nevada. | Mr Romney will exchange places with Mr Obama later in the day and campaign in Nashua, New Hampshire. His running mate will be in Nevada. |
| In Mr Obama's convention speech, he offered a string of critiques of Republican policies, while emphasising there was no quick fix for the nation's problems. | In Mr Obama's convention speech, he offered a string of critiques of Republican policies, while emphasising there was no quick fix for the nation's problems. |
| "When you pick up that ballot to vote - you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation," he said. | "When you pick up that ballot to vote - you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation," he said. |
| "Over the next few years, big decisions will be made in Washington: on jobs and the economy; taxes and deficits; energy and education; war and peace - decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and our children's lives for decades to come." | "Over the next few years, big decisions will be made in Washington: on jobs and the economy; taxes and deficits; energy and education; war and peace - decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and our children's lives for decades to come." |
| Also on Friday, Clint Eastwood broke his silence about what inspired his bizarre speech at the Republican convention last week, when he spoke to an empty chair that he said represented Mr Obama. | |
| He told his California hometown newspaper the Carmel Pine Cone that he noticed the seat while waiting backstage to speak. | |
| "When I saw the stool sitting there, it gave me the idea," he said. "I'll just put the stool out there and I'll talk to Mr Obama and ask him why he didn't keep all of the promises he made to everybody." | |
| Eastwood said the Romney campaign had asked for details of what he was going to say, but he told them: "You can't do that with me, because I don't know what I'm going to say." | |
Democratic convention video
| Democratic convention video
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