U.S. President Barack Obama and his opponent, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney are essentially tied in national polls as the presidential campaign enters its last days before Tuesday's election.
    The president holds a slight edge in the political battleground states crucial to gaining the 270 electoral votes needed to win.
    Both President Obama and Mr. Romney stopped Friday in the key state of Ohio on a day the government reported the jobless rate had risen a tenth of a point to 7.9 percent, but also added 171,000 jobs, beating expectations.
    Each candidate had a different take on what the numbers meant. The president said companies in October hired more workers than at any other time in the last eight months. Mr. Romney called the jobless rate "a sad reminder that the economy is at a virtual standstill."