Bleak jobs report dims Obama afterglow

By Matt Spetalnick and John Whitesides, Washington Charlotte,North Carolina

A bleak monthly US jobs report poured cold water on President Barack Obama’s hopes for a post-convention bounce, putting him on the defensive as he entered the final two-month sprint to the Nov 6 election.

Just hours after basking in the glow of his supporters’ adulation on Thursday night at the Democratic convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, Obama was hit by a stark reminder of the challenge he faces convincing voters to give him a second term despite stubbornly high unemployment on his watch.