YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Weekend in politics: Jobs report, hectic campaigning, and more

    By Phil Pruitt | The Ticket – Fri, Nov 2, 2012

    It's the last weekend of campaigning in the race for the White House, and it will begin with the last monthly jobs report before Election Day.

    Economists expect the unemployment rate to tick up to 7.9 percent from September's surprising drop to 7.8 percent, Reuters reports. Here's an easy prediction: No matter what the Friday morning report shows, President Barack Obama will say it shows the economy is on the right track but more work needs to be done, and Republican nominee Mitt Romney will say it shows Obama's economic policies are all wrong.

    [UPDATE: October hiring beats economists' projections]
     [UPDATE: Obama, Romney clash on jobs report]

    As for the campaigning this weekend, it's the battle for the battleground states, and just trying to follow the candidates' schedules will make you dizzy.

    Obama will hit Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Virginia, Florida, New Hampshire and Colorado before the end of the day Sunday.

    Romney has stops in Wisconsin, Ohio, New Hampshire, Iowa and Colorado over the weekend.

    [Want to get a daily update of what's happening in politics delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for our Daily Ticket newsletter]

    What about the running mates? Vice President Joe Biden will be in Wisconsin and Colorado, and Paul Ryan in Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida. Romney and Ryan will campaign together Friday in Ohio.

    First lady Michelle Obama will be on the road, too, this weekend with campaign events in Virginia and Ohio. And former President Bill Clinton will be campaigning for Obama in Florida and Virginia.

    Also worth noting: Ralph Nader will host a debate for third-party presidential candidates Sunday evening at Busboys and Poets restaurant in Washington, and  "Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden," a full-length feature about the manhunt and raid that took down al-Qaida's leader, will be broadcast on the National Geographic Channel at 8 p.m. EST Sunday. The killing of bin Laden is a foreign policy achievement frequently cited by Obama.

    And then there is this: Friday marks four days until Election Day. That's 96 hours. The stump speeches and campaign ads really are coming to an end.

    Sources: Yahoo! News, Associated Press, Reuters

    Loading...

    More from Yahoo! News

    News for You »

    • Even Cavendish surprised by fourth stage win

      By Alasdair and Fotheringham CHERASCO, Italy, May 17 - A series of small but challenging climbs late on Friday's stage of the 2012 Giro d'Italia could not stop Britain's Mark Cavendish taking his fourth stage win and second in two days. Italy's Vincenzo Nibali remained overall leader but it was sprinter Cavendish who stole the show again after compatriot and pre-race favorite Bradley Wiggins failed to start the 254 kilometer stage, the longest in this year's Giro. In a bunch sprint finish Cavendish outgunned Italy's Giacomo Nizzolo and Slovenia's Luka Mezgec. ...

    • Soccer-Ferguson criticises City for Mancini sacking

      LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - Manchester United's outgoing manager Alex Ferguson has criticised neighbours Manchester City for sacking Roberto Mancini. The Italian boss was sacked on Monday having failed to retain the Premier League title he won last season and after losing the FA Cup final to Wigan Athletic. Mancini took out a full-page advertisement in the Manchester Evening News on Saturday, thanking fans for their support during his time in charge. ...

    • Kanye West's Angry 'SNL' Rant Makes Saturday's Season Finale a Must-Watch

      This coming weekend is a big one for Saturday Night Live. It marks the end of Bill Hader's tenure on the show and Ben Affleck's fifth time hosting. But perhaps the most significant reason to tune in is the fact that Kanye West is the musical guest, and he's making it seem like he really, really doesn't want to be. With West's apparent frustration with the show and his penchant for, shall we say ... off-the-cuff remarks, producers should be worried and we should be excited. Is there a better combo than that?

    • NYers furious over photos taken through windows

      In one photo, a woman is on all fours, presumably picking something up, her posterior pressed against a glass window. Another photo shows a couple in bathrobes, their feet touching beneath a table. And ...

    • Georgia governor engaged in Bible dispute

      When Ed Buckner and his family went to a north Georgia state park to celebrate his son's birthday, he was surprised and concerned to find Bibles in the state-owned cabin he had rented. An atheist, Buckner ...

    • Bea Arthur topless painting fetches $1.9M in NYC

      A painting of actress Bea Arthur topless has sold for $1.9 million at a New York City auction. The painting is by artist John Currin and is titled "Bea Arthur Naked." It sold at Christie's auction ...

    • Horseracing-2013 Preakness Stakes result

      May 18 (Reuters) - Result and finishing order of the 2013 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico racecourse on Saturday. 1. Oxbow (Gary Stevens) 2. Itsmyluckyday (John Velazquez) 3. Mylute (Rosie Napravnik) 4. Orb (Joel Rosario) 5. Goldencents (Kevin Krigger) 6. Departing (Brian Hernandez) 7. Will Take Charge (Mike Smith) 8. Govenor Charlie (Martin Garcia) 9. Titletown Five (Julien Leparoux) Winner trained by: D. Wayne Lukas Winner paid $32.80 for a $2 win bet Winning margin: 1-3/4 lengths Time: one minute 57.54 seconds (Compiled by Steve Ginsburg; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

    • A record Powerball jackpot isn't a record to celebrate

      When the 43-state Powerball lottery jackpot hit a record at $600 million Friday, many Americans who would otherwise not gamble rushed out to buy the $2 tickets. “Just on the off-chance,” many probably said.

    Show More
    Loading...

    Follow Yahoo! News