According to government figures, zero net jobs were created in the U.S. last month — a situation that last happened in September 2010. This leaves the national unemployment rate steady at 9.1 percent.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to unveil measures aimed at bolstering growth in an address to Congress next Thursday, but the 2012 GOP candidates hammered the news peg with statements in advance.

Former governor of Utah and ambassador to China Jon Huntsman:

Two days after I offered a plan with serious solutions that would create jobs and get our economy going, we learn of yet another month with zero job growth. There is no clearer sign that the President has failed and the theatrics around his far-too-late jobs speech demonstrate that he has no real plan to change course. In a country with 307 million people, zero job growth is unfathomable. It’s time for America to compete again and it’s time for a new President.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney:

Today’s disappointing unemployment report is further proof that President Obama has failed. President Obama oversaw an economy that created zero jobs last month and that is unacceptable. In order to change the direction of this country, we need to change presidents. Americans need a conservative businessman to get this economy moving again, not career politicians. That is why I am running. Next week, I will lay out my specific plan to put America back to work.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum:

This morning’s jobs report is another sad sign that President Obama’s economic policies would need to improve dramatically to even be described as incompetent. For three years, in speech after speech, the President has claimed to be focused on the American worker, but month after month and report after report shows the opposite. So either, the President’s economic policies are killing this economy or his lack of leadership – either way, President Obama is to blame. Employers need certainty and freedom to expand and that what my jobs plan would do.

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann:

Mr. President – we gave you $2.4 trillion in new spending and the American people got nothing in return. Today’s jobs report showing that the economy created no jobs in the last month and unemployment at 9.1 percent is further evidence that President Obama’s failed economic policies are not working and have completely stalled job growth. After spending three days last month on a bus tour focusing on jobs – today’s economic report shows that the nation’s economy is sitting at a huge stop sign. Before his vacation, the President gave us a speech about a jobs speech; the American people don’t need speeches, they need jobs.

It’s time for a comprehensive restructuring of how Washington spends taxpayers’ dollars by controlling spending and encouraging pro-growth economic policies. Mr. President – it’s time to stop digging our country further into debt – it’s time to build a solid foundation for sustainable economic growth to restore certainty for the American people and the markets.

U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter:

This latest jobs report again proves that, unlike President Obama and the GOP candidates who are unable or unwilling to understand the central problem in our economy, my economic growth plan is the one that will end this period of debt-deflation and stagnation by fundamentally restructuring Big Government into Citizen-government and recapitalizing the failed Wall Street Bailout Banks through free market forces.

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson:

With today’s jobs report, the worst in a year, one has to wonder what it will take to make the President and Congress admit that they are doing all the wrong things. Government does not create jobs, it kills jobs. Yet, the White House says the answer is to pass a highway bill so they can ‘stimulate’ construction jobs. Washington has stimulated us to death, and it has to stop. Provide certainty for employers, stop the insane spending, and reform the tax code. Do those things, and the private sector will do the job creation. We have let the myth of government jobs programs go too far, and America is suffering as a result. We don’t need more prime time speeches — we need government to just get out of the way.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry:

President Obama’s job-killing polices continue to wreak havoc on the American economy. The poor national jobs picture stands in stark contrast to Texas’ pro-jobs, limited government policies which helped make us the top job-producing state in the nation. Our country cannot afford four more years of economic misery, and I will continue to travel the county talking about ways to get American working again.

Atlanta businessman Herman Cain:

We learned today that not a single job was created during the month of August in the United States of America. In the land of endless opportunity and abundant freedom, the very promise that has inspired generations of industrious and innovative people seems to be dwindling away.

After trillions in government spending and empty promises, 14 million American workers are unemployed, with millions more underemployed. These are people, not statistics. They are families struggling to put food on the table, send their kids to school and keep the lights on. They are our family members, friends and neighbors.

Sadly, the fact that zero jobs were created last month is only fitting for this administration, which is led by a President with zero leadership, zero plans, zero results and zero understanding of basic economics. And the American people are worse off because of it.

Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton on behalf of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul:

The August national unemployment rate of 9.1 percent is another unfortunate chapter in the Obama administration’s almost superhuman mishandling of the economy. Total nonfarm employment was unchanged, with zero jobs created. The number of involuntary part-time workers is up, and the number of those marginally attached to the workforce is up.

Six million workers, 42.9 percent of total unemployed persons, have been jobless 27 weeks or longer – a frightening proposition considering that mortgage, rent, food and back-to-school bills may go unpaid. The most recent four-week moving average of new unemployment claims, favored for being a less volatile indicator of our jobs picture, is a frowning 410,250 – also cause for dismay.

Indeed, much more than these data hangs in the balance. Americans are enduring painful long-term joblessness. They’re witnessing their savings disappear due to lost income. They’re seeing their personal debt rise due to lost income. And they gaze despairingly upon their retirement plans as these arrangements are tabled or upended entirely.

We’ve been told our economic situation would get worse before it gets better, yet circumstances have remained near to their utmost worst for nearly three years.

We’ve been told that help was on the way, yet taxpayer-derived aid was granted to pet causes and favored political allies. Too often, bailouts were targeted to the President’s corporate and financial sector allies, a policy similar to that of tossing life preservers to those partying on yachts.

Americans have had enough.

It’s high time that the President and his Washington establishment allies – those in both parties – ‘man up’ and face the responsibility to enact authentic change.

First, America must put an end to the unconstitutional, undeclared wars that are nothing more than destructive conflicts having an unclear connection to U.S. national security. And we should stop putting our war-weary armed services men and women in danger by being the world’s police force and dispense with state building while there are pressing needs at home.

“Ron Paul has called for an authentic stimulus that communities across America will find economically and affectionately stimulating: the return to America of 305,000 of their sons, daughters, husbands and wives who are deployed overseas.

Dr. Paul says time and again that these men and women’s absence from the U.S., their deployments by international organizations such as N.A.T.O. and the United Nations, and their involvement in unconstitutional, undeclared wars puts America at risk.

America’s heroes should finally return, reunite with their loved ones in the vicinity of U.S. bases – many of which face closure, as foreign bases thrive – and they can spend, save or invest their pay right here in America.

A return to the U.S. of service men and women and their equipment just months ago would mean that Vermont would have possessed the needed Blackhawk helicopters and personnel to adequately respond to Hurricane Irene’s destruction. Instead, Vermont was required to borrow helicopters from Illinois and New Hampshire.

In the wake of Hurricane Irene, there’s a national conversation about the constitutionality, efficacy and efficiency of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) happening. Yet, none of Ron Paul’s Republican primary competitors have raised the issue that, since the U.S. reportedly spends more than $500 billion on overseas adventures, just seven days’ worth of U.S global militarism would pay for Hurricane Irene response.

Second, President Obama and his Washington enablers of both parties must end the appalling practice of overspending and borrowing. American households are becoming poorer as the economic doldrums continue, however Washington enjoys a kind of golden age as it grows and promotes its relevance in every facet of life.

The Obama administration offers empty promises on a jobs fix despite the economic reality that government does not create jobs, and in lockstep those in government garner little criticism as few in the media hold Washingtonians’ feet to the fire. This selective examination of the facts, too, must end.

Third, the U.S. must avoid the disastrous boom and bust cycles that promote irresponsible spending, investing, borrowing and lending and this can only be done by returning to a sound money system.

The Federal Reserve should undergo a complete and thorough audit, and currency competition should be introduced by decriminalizing the use of gold and silver as legal tender. The final aim would be to end the Fed, which rewards the wealthy few while punishing and injuring working class Americans.

The numbers and anecdotal evidence of a failed jobs picture speak for themselves. They are a glaring argument for abandoning the failed Big Government, discredited Keynesian response to the national crisis all but those in Washington are experiencing.

We do not need another speech or prime-time lecture for that matter to tell us what we know: Washington has failed and it is time for new leadership.

Ron Paul has championed the same constitutionally-limited government, noninterventionist foreign policy and sound money arguments for more than 30 years.

Dr. Paul wisely predicted the economic crisis and foresaw that it would fall hardest on the hardworking and most vulnerable. The issues now match the candidate, which is why his message is resonating with more voters as the primary campaign cycle advances.

Most New Mexicans still have a favorable view of former Gov. Gary Johnson, whereas other 2012 GOP presidential hopefuls are all unpopular, according to Public Policy Polling.

Johnson has a 44-32 favorability spread, compared with all of the other candidates who have negative favorability ratings in their home state.

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who has not announced a run for president, has a 50 percent unfavorable rating to 42 percent favorable. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are also unpopular, with only 40 percent holding a favorable view of them in their respective home states. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin are particularly unpopular in their home states, with just 33 percent holding a favorable view of them. (Rep. Ron Paul, who is a libertarian like Johnson, and former Utah Gov. John Huntsman were not included in the poll.)

While Johnson is well-liked in New Mexico, more than eight in 10 registered Republicans nationwide do not recognize his name, according to Gallup. He is not measured in many nationwide polls, and CNN did not invite him to its June 13 debate.

A new CBS News/New York Times poll (PDF) shows that 56 percent of Republican voters do not feel enthusiastic about any of the official or prospective GOP candidates running for president in 2012.

The highest percent of enthusiasm for a single candidate (without offering those polled a list to choose from) was 9 percent, for Mitt Romney. Mike Huckabee garnered 8 percent on the enthusiasm poll; Donald Trump, 7 percent; Newt Gingrich 5 percent; and Sarah Palin 4 percent.

Asked about specific potential contenders, the most “favorable” ratings went as follows:

• Huckabee: 54 percent
• Palin: 51 percent
• Romney: 42 percent
• Gingrich: 42 percent
• Trump: 35 percent
• Michele Bachmann: 21 percent
• Tim Pawlenty: 20 percent
• Rick Santorum: 19 percent
• Haley Barbour: 12 percent
• Mitch Daniels: 9 percent
• Jon Huntsman: 5 percent

Neither Ron Paul nor former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson were included in the poll, although a Gallup poll released Friday does include both: While Donald Trump and Mike Huckabee topped the poll, with 16 percent apiece, Paul garnered 6 percent and Johnson registered less than one percent.

Based on these results, CBS News has declared the race for the GOP nomination “wide open,” noting that when asked about specific candidates, most registered voters claimed not to know about most of the potential GOP contenders, especially Mississippi Gov. Barbour, Indiana Gov. Daniels and Huntsman.

While Donald Trump earned a favorable rating from 35 percent of Republican voters polled, 32 percent said they viewed him unfavorably and 33 percent said they had not heard enough about him to form an opinion. But of all registered voters, CBS News/New York Times said 72 percent of Americans do not view Trump as a serious presidential candidate.

Still, Trump’s high public profile has kept him in 2012 race discussions, at least in popular media.

The Des Moines Register on Thursday published an interview with Trump, highlighting his “evolving” views on same-sex marriage and abortion –- topics Trump is used to discussing. As far as more serious complex policy issues, his answers left much to be desired in the way of substance.

From the Des Moines Register:

Trump on national debt:

“What I’m going to do to reduce the debt is create a great economy. That can reduce the deficit better than anything. I am going to bring jobs back home. I am going to stop China from ripping off the United States — they will make $300 billion off us this year. I am going to stop China from manipulating their currency so we buy all their products and they take all our jobs. I will fight OPEC so oil comes way, way down. … I will create a tremendous economy. I will create a proud country.”

Trump on entitlements:

“I don’t like what’s happening in Washington where the Republican Party, a trap is being set for the Republican Party, where they’re willing to tinker and play with Medicare and Medicaid. Because I am against that. … I pledge right now that I will protect our senior citizens. And I don’t like that the Republicans have gone so far out on a limb about Medicare and Medicaid.”

Trump on embryonic stem cell research:

“I would say that I’d like to get back to you because I’m studying it very closely. It’s an issue, don’t forget, that as a businessman I’ve never been involved in.”

Sarah Palin may be a weak candidate in a general election in New Mexico, but she would receive significant support in the primary, according to a poll by Public Policy Polling. The survey also shows that though former Gov. Gary Johnson would be the strongest GOP candidate against President Barack Obama in New Mexico, he would be tied for fourth place in a Republican primary.

Former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin tops the Republican field in a presidential primary in New Mexico with 20 percent of the support among Republican primary voters. She’s followed by Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee at 17 percent and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney at 16 percent. Johnson and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich are currently tied for fourth with 13 percent.

Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty at 6 percent, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul at 4 percent and Indiana governor Mitch Daniels at 3 percent bring up the rear of the field in New Mexico. The poll shows 8 percent prefer an unnamed option or are currently completely undecided.

No Republican top-tier candidates have officially announced a run for president but all those in the poll are considered likely to at least explore a presidential run to take on Obama in the general election in 2012.

In a Senate primary against U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce and former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, Ninth Judicial District Attorney Matt Chandler, Secretary of State Dianna Duran and Lieutenant Governor John Sanchez Johnson would finish in second.

Wilson leads that primary with 35 percent of the support to Johnson’s 27 percent. Congressman Steve Pearce places in third with 17 percent while the rest of the potential candidates are in single digits.

Johnson is very unlikely to run for Senate.

Wilson and Pearce were involved in a Senate primary in 2008 which Pearce narrowly won after a hard-fought campaign 51 percent to 49 percent. Pearce went on to lose to Democrat Tom Udall in the general election by a large margin.

“We found on this poll that Johnson was unusually popular for a Republican with Democrats,” Director of Public Policy Polling Tom Jensen wrote, “but the other edge of that sword is that he’s lacking in popularity for a Republican with Republicans, and that’s why he does poorly here.”

Wilson has the highest favorable rating among Republicans than any of the others polled — 71 percent of those polled had a favorable opinion of Wilson compared to 18 percent unfavorable. The next closest was Steve Pearce who had a 69 percent favorable rating and a 16 percent unfavorable rating.

Johnson was the only person polled with a favorable rating of below 50 percent.

The poll showed 69 percent had a favorable opinion of Sarah Palin while 25 percent had an unfavorable opinion of the former Alaska governor.

The poll was conducted more than a year out from the Republican primary for either president or U.S. Senate in New Mexico. Much can change between now and the primary that effect the primary results including candidates formally joining the race or ruling themselves out.

The poll of 357 Republican primary voters was conducted from February 4 to 6. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 5.2 percent.

Former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson came in third at the Conservative Political Action Committee straw poll this weekend. Johnson, likely buoyed by the support from thousands of Ron Paul fans, finished well behind Paul and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

Paul, a Republican congressman from Texas, won the straw poll for the second consecutive year. The poll’s results are non-scientific, with less than a majority of CPAC attendees participating. Many pundits and reporters see the straw poll as a way to gauge support for the candidates from conservative activists.

The poll is not a particularly good predictor of success in the Republican presidential primary either. In 2007, Romney won the straw poll and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani finished in second. Both were defeated by Sen. John McCain in the primary. McCain finished fifth in the CPAC straw poll that year.

Johnson received 6 percent of the first-place votes in this year’s straw poll. This was well behind Paul, 30 percent, and Romney, 23 percent. Johnson tied with New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who has said numerous times that he’s not running for president. Johnson finished ahead of many recognizable Republicans including former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.

There were also other questions on the straw poll ballot besides attendees’ preferred presidential candidates. Politics Daily reported:

The straw poll covers more than preference for president. It also asks questions about issues. Fabrizio said the No. 1 concern of participants in the straw poll was ” the size of government and the role government has in your life.”

One question asked participants to choose among three statements to represent their “core beliefs and ideology.”

Eighty-four percent chose “My most important goal is to promote individual freedom by reducing the size and scope of government and its intrusion into the lives of citizens.”

Nine percent selected “My most important goal is to promote traditional values by protecting traditional marriage and protecting the life of the unborn.”

And 6 percent chose “My most important goal is to secure and guarantee American safety at home and abroad regardless of the cost or the size of government.”

Dave Weigel of Slate said that Johnson was the second-biggest winner of the conference. Weigel wrote that the third-place showing will propel him beyond his current stature.

“A third-place showing in the straw poll gave Johnson his first real media hook that wasn’t some combination of ‘he wants to legalize drugs’ and ‘he’s the new Ron Paul!’ Weigel wrote. “Oh, sure, half of Johnson’s coverage now will still be ‘how is he different than Ron Paul?’ But that’s an improvement. He met tons of reporters, commanded a small scrum after the vote, and is a slightly lighter shade of dark horse now.”

Johnson has not announced his candidacy and says he can’t as long as he heads the nonprofit Our America Initiative, but many believe he is gearing up for a presidential run. Johnson has traveled to New Hampshire, an important state in the presidential primary process, a number of times over the past few months.

Last year, Paul said he was undecided on another run for president but that Johnson would be a good candidate .

Johnson finished last in a presidential straw poll at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference last year.

According to a survey by a Democratic polling firm, President Barack Obama starts off in strong position to win New Mexico in 2012 as he did in 2008. The Public Policy Polling poll shows that Obama has a large lead over the potential Republican presidential candidates polled. The poll also shows that the strongest Republican challenger is former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson.

In addition to leading the Republican candidates in electoral scenarios, Obama has an approval rating of 55 percent and a disapproval rating of 40 percent.

Johnson was also the strongest Republican candidate in a U.S. Senate poll. Johnson is widely seen as angling for a Republican run at president in 2012.

The next closest candidate besides Gary Johnson’s 15 point deficit to Obama (51 percent to 36 percent) is former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who trails 53 percent to 37 percent. Obama leads former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee 55 percent to 36 percent, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich 56 percent to 35 percent and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin 62 percent to 33 percent.

“At this rate, New Mexico may not even be considered a swing state,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “Despite Democrats’ difficulties last year, the West—including Colorado and Nevada—is turning more and more solid blue.”

The poll does have a high number of Democrats in the sample: 55 percent Democrats compared to  29 percent Republicans and 16 percent independents or other parties. According to the Secretary of State, as of January 31 of this year, 49 percent of registered voters are Democrats, 32 percent are Republicans, 16 percent are decline to state, or Independent, and 3 percent are registered with other parties.

Obama holds large leads among both Democrats and ” decline to state” voters against all candidates. The Republican with the most support from “decline to state” and third-party voters is Johnson who received support from 29 percent. Palin had the lowest support, just 22 percent. Obama had the backing of between 53 percent of “decline to state” and independent voters, against Johnson, to 73 percent, against Palin.

“One thing that’s particularly notable within the numbers and bodes quite well for Obama is that he actually leads Palin and Gingrich with white voters, ties Huckabee, and trails Johnson and Romney by only 3 and 4 points respectively,” Tom Jensen, Director of PPP wrote. “If you can come close to breaking even as a Democrat with white voters in New Mexico you’ve got it won, given that Obama has anywhere from a 35-52 point lead with the Hispanic vote that’s only becoming a larger and larger portion of the electorate in the state.”

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Pawlenty said that he called Martinez on election night to congratulate her on her primary victory where she has over 50 percent of the votes according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s office.

Mitt Romney in Santa Fe in 2008 campaigning for Steve Pearce (Photo by Matthew Reichbach)

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney’s political action committee, Free & Strong America PAC, has given $5,000 each GOP governor candidate Susana Martinez and $2,500 each to congressional candidates Jon Barela and Steve Pearce. Barela is running against incumbent Democrat Martin Heinrich and Pearce is running against incumbent Democrat Harry Teague.

“At a time when too many of our leaders are interested in growing the size of government, we need leaders who will stand up and say no to higher taxes and higher spending,” Romney said in a news release.

“This is why it is so important that we elect people like Susana Martinez, Jon Barela and Steve Pearce, who will work to get our economy back on track and make job creation a priority.”

Romney unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for President in 2008, losing out to John McCain. McCain went on to lose to now-President Barack Obama.

Free & Strong America PAC did not donate to Tom Mullins, who won the Republican nomination in the 3rd Congressional District, though the press release noted this was only the “first wave” of endorsements in New Mexico.

One has to wonder if the three voters who cast their ballots for Johnson would have instead voted for Paul, who Johnson endorsed in the 2008 presidential election, if Johnson had not been on the straw poll ballot, giving Paul the win over Romney. Paul won a previous straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Johnson was not included in the CPAC straw poll.

Johnson did beat out Paul, however, for the most second choices at the SRLC straw poll.