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Battleground State Reader: Sept. 13: Editorials slam Romney for 'political attack'

Leading today's Battleground State Reader, Mitt Romney gets slammed by editorial boards accross the country and in all the major battleground states for yesterday's political attack on President Barack Obama amid violence in Libya and Egypt. The Washington Post (widely read in Virginia) criticized him for an inappropriate "rhetorical attack" while the Boston Globe (widely read in New Hampshire) argued that Romney "was wrong on facts... wrong on substance... and wrong as a matter of policy."

Meanwhile, negative economic headlines continued to dog President Obama in Florida and Ohio, while a new Associated Industries of Florida poll puts Romney ahead of the president by 3 points in the Sunshine State. Coupled with a Rasmussen poll that has Obama ahead by two, his RCP aggregate is now down to +0.6.

Your daily roundup of the headlines and reports from the nine battleground states, with polling data based off of latest RCP aggregate.

FLORIDA (29) -- Obama +0.6

Tampa Bay Times: State researchers: Florida unemployment would be 9.8 percent if not for labor pool dropouts

Florida's unemployment rate dropped from 9.9 percent in December to 8.8 percent in July. The rate, however, would be little changed at 9.8 percent if not for a substantial number of people dropping out of the labor force, according to the Florida Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research.

Tampa Bay Times (Editorial): Romney's quick attack ill-advised

There are unanticipated turns of events in every political campaign that provide insights about the candidates, their judgment and their grace under pressure. Romney's factual mistake, exploitation of an evolving situation in which Americans were killed, and poor timing is one of those moments.

Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel (Editorial): GOP's criticism unwarranted

[T]he immediate hours after a horrendous attack on American citizens abroad is not the time to further divide the American people in an attempt to push up poll numbers.... Irresponsible. And totally unwarranted.

Miami Herald: Biz group FL poll: Romney 50%-Obama 47%

The Associated Industries of Florida business group has released snippets of a survey taken by Mclaughlin & Associates, a firm that typically polls for Republicans, which finds Mitt Romney clinging to an inside-the-error-margin lead over President Obama, 50-47%, among likely voters.

Palm Beach Post: Florida ranks second in nation for foreclosure activity

A 26 percent increase in new foreclosure filings in August from the same time in 2011 helped push the Sunshine State to No. 2. The jump, which included a 35 percent increase in new filings in Palm Beach County, could be attributed to the National Mortgage Settlement, experts said.

OHIO (18) -- Obama +3.0

Columbus Dispatch (Editorial): Growing weight: Projections of U.S. debt growth offer a dismal prospect

How much has the federal debt increased in the past decade? Just since President Barack Obama took office, it has surged by $5 trillion; though his predecessor was no small spender, Obama increased the debt more in his first three years and two months in office than George W. Bush did in his full eight-year tenure as president.

Cleveland Plain Dealer (Editorial): A shocking attack in Libya

Republican nominee Mitt Romney's trigger finger was so quick that he didn't even get it right. Tuesday night, his campaign released a statement calling it "disgraceful" that the Obama administration's first reaction was "to sympathize with those who waged the attacks," but erroneously based that on a U.S. embassy statement in Cairo that had preceded the assault. Far from sympathizing, the statement was a simple expression of religious tolerance aimed at defusing tensions. It was not, as Romney repeated Wednesday, "akin to apology."

Akron Beacon Journal (Editorial): Attack in Libya

Unfortunately, Mitt Romney chose to ignore the distinction. In a statement, the Republican presidential candidate expressed outrage at the attacks and the death of an American consulate worker. He then cudgeled the White House for a “first response” that did not condemn but showed sympathy “with those who waged the attacks.”

NORTH CAROLINA (15) -- Romney +3.5

VIRGINIA (13) -- Romney +0.8

The Washington Post (Editorial): Mr. Romney’s rhetoric on embassy attacks is a discredit to his campaign

Mr. Romney... would do well to consider the example of Republican former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, who issued a statement Wednesday lamenting “the tragic loss of life at our consulate,” praising Mr. Stevens as “a wonderful officer and a terrific diplomat” and offering “thoughts and prayers” to “all the loved ones of the fallen.” That was the appropriate response.

WISCONSIN (10) -- Obama +1.4

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Editorial): A martyr for freedom

Romney's pettiness likely would be disturbing to a seasoned diplomat such as Stevens. He made his mark by knowing both the "streets, not just the elites," said a friend of his, Robin Wright. She worked in the Middle East as a journalist and is now a scholar at the United States Institute of Peace.

COLORADO (9) -- Obama +3.4

Bolder Daily Camera (Editorial): Terrible tragedy on anniversary of terrible day

Stating that commitment to one of our core values is not an "apology" as candidate Mitt Romney tried to portray it. Not only irresponsibly, when he was clueless as to the extent of the attack but even the next morning when more information was available to him. For someone whose campaign has been studded with tone-deafness abroad, this was stunning, undiplomatic and undemocratic rhetoric.

IOWA (6) -- Obama +0.2

NEVADA (6) -- Obama +3.3

Las Vegas Review Journal (Sherman Frederick): Obama skips his intelligence briefings

In the aftermath of four Americans, including our ambassador, being hunted down and assassinated in Libya, it is more than a little shocking to find that President Obama doesn't even attend half of his daily intelligence meetings.

NEW HAMPSHIRE (4) -- Obama +3.5

Boston Globe (Editorial): Romney’s comments raise doubts about his foreign-policy savvy

Not much is known about Romney’s views on foreign policy, and he benefits from the perception that, because he is bright and well-informed on other issues, he therefore would be a responsible steward of American diplomacy. But his actions on the campaign trail belie this image. He has been only too eager to revive the Bush-era approach of tough talk and military action as the default responses to threats in the world... Romney’s actions raise more doubts about himself than Obama.

Union Leader (Joseph W. McQuaid): Obama's response pitiful and pathetic

The Obama administration's response to attacks on American embassies and the murder of American diplomats is pathetic. Obama himself was bloodless and without any emotion whatsoever in his Rose Garden appearance Wednesday. His reference to seeking “justice” for the murderers of Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens seemed pretty much an afterthought.

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