Some grim US employment data emerged Thursday, showing 62,000 jobs were lost in June. Meanwhile, Republican presidential candidate John McCain responded with his proposal for a "jobs first" economic plan. The statement was released while McCain was wrapping up a trip to Mexico.

Not missing an opportunity to slam the GOP candidate for his support of open trade that many blame for lost US manufacturing jobs, Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean said the candidate was "hurting America."

"On the same day John McCain is in Mexico promoting NAFTA, we find out America lost another 62,000 jobs last month because of the failed Bush-McCain economic policies that have been a disaster for our country," Dean said in an e-mailed statement. "How much longer must this go on before George Bush and John McCain realize their economic policies are hurting America? What we need is a President who will put American workers first and give hard-working families a tax break."...

Complete article here: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/McCain_camp_leaks_details_on_jobs_0703.html

Associated Press
Published: Thursday July 3, 2008

They're the most fickle voters, and potentially the most powerful. Thus, with party nominations secure, John McCain and Barack Obama now are pushing toward the center to win them over.

Meet the "mushy middle," a complex chunk of people likely to decide the presidential election but difficult to reach and hard to please.

"Yes, we can!" isn't floating their boat. Nothing much is, from either candidate.

They aren't uniformly conservative or liberal, and they don't fit strict Republican or Democratic orthodoxy. They aren't typically engaged in politics, and they don't much care about the campaign. And like so many others, they are extraordinarily pessimistic.

"To me, it's not about the party, it's about who is the best person for the job," says Pam Robinett, 47, from Wellington, Kan., who always votes. Then again, "they'll all lie, cheat and steal to get what they want."

Talk about a tough sell.

"The country's going to go to hell in a handbasket with this election," seethes James Nauman, 55, from Lutz, Fla. "I don't think Obama's qualified and McCain's another Bush. Neither of them really have impressed me."

Both will try.

A recent AP-Yahoo News poll finds that 15 percent call themselves moderates and aren't solidly supporting a candidate. More than half of this still-persuadable middle is made up of independents...