Unbelievable: Van Jones says 9/11 petition didn't reflect his views; Update: Jones didn't “carefully review” petition  —  Note well: He doesn't deny that he signed it.  He denies that he agrees with it.  Which means, I guess, that he's asking us to create a new standard for public officials …

‘Green Jobs’ Adviser's Past Could Stir Trouble for White House at Critical Time  —  White House green jobs adviser Van Jones' past associations and remarks are stirring controversy at a time when the Obama administration is trying to keep controversy at a minimum.  —  FOXNews.com

It Gets Worse  —  I was at a Blanche Lincoln town hall meeting in Russellville, Arkansas, yesterday—and the number of people who believe that the President has larded the government with communists (!) was astonishing.  One woman said there were four known communists in the government and that she'd researched it on the internet.

Obama speech to students draws conservative ire  —  DALLAS — President Barack Obama's back-to-school address next week was supposed to be a feel-good story for an administration battered over its health care agenda.  Now Republican critics are calling it an effort to foist a political agenda on children …

Some Parents Oppose Obama Speech to Students  —  HOUSTON — President Obama's plan to deliver a speech to public school students on Tuesday has set off a revolt among conservative parents, who have accused the president of trying to indoctrinate their children with socialist ideas …

Fewer Job Losses Than Expected, but Rate Rises in August  —  Employers eliminated 216,000 jobs in August even as the larger economy showed signs of turning around, suggesting that while the pace of job losses continues to slow, American workers will still be among the last to benefit from a recovery.

U.S. Payroll Losses Slow, Unemployment Rises to 9.7% (Correct)  —  Sept. 4 (Bloomberg) — The pace of U.S. job losses slowed in August as signs emerged that the recession is ending, while the unemployment rate reached a 26-year high, underscoring threats to consumer spending gains in the recovery.