From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.The presidential campaign's painting very different picturesof what the monthly jobs report means.President Obama says the fact that the rate dropped to 7.8%means the country's moving in the right direction.But his challenger Mitt Romney said while campaigningin Virginia it's not enough. NPR's Ari Shapiro has more.Mitt Romney has said from the start of this campaign thathigh unemployment is the No. 1 reason voters should fire President Obama.Now the Bureau of Labor Statistics says unemployment dropped in September to 7.8%.Romney said such a tepid pace of recovery isnot the sort of rebound that Americans deserve."There were fewer new jobs created this month than last month.And the unemployment rate, as you know, this year has come down very, very slowly."Several voters at this rally said they believeDemocrats manipulated the unemployment numbers,a provably false conspiracy theory that Romney did not touch.Ari Shapiro, NPR News, Irvington, Virginia.Now after delivering what many analysts are calling a lacklusterperformance at the debate against Romney two nights ago,President Obama unleashed a fair amount of zingers in his campaign speeches today.In Fairfax, Virginia, he seized on Romney's remarkat the debate Wednesday that even though he loved Big Bird,Romney would cut subsidies to PBS."For all you moms and kids out there, don't worry―somebody is finallygetting tough on Big Bird, rounding him up. Elmo's got to watch out, too.Governor Romney plans to let Wall Street run wild again,but he's going to bring down the hammer on Sesame Street. It makes perfect sense."
