Brian Naylor

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AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Now, to the potential political implications of the strike and how it might shake up the presidential race. Here's NPR's Brian Naylor.

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This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. Democrats in North Carolina are hoping to extend the momentum of the convention, organizing to get out the vote in November. President Obama narrowly won the state four years ago, but recent polls have shown Mitt Romney now ahead. The weak economy still looms over their organizing efforts. NPR's Brian Naylor reports.

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As we've been reporting, President Obama will not be under the stars for his convention speech tonight. The stars might not have been visible anyway. The campaign moved the event indoors, citing a chance of thunderstorms.

Republican Rep. Todd Akin's decision to stay in the U.S. Senate race in Missouri is likely to leave him with support from the state's evangelical community, but not much more, says a political scientist at the University of Missouri, St. Louis.

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And I'm Steve Inskeep. Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin was going to face trouble, no matter what. But it's Akin's fate that he also faces a deadline today.

GREENE: If he should withdraw from the U.S. Senate race by 5 o'clock Central Time this afternoon, it will be easy for party officials to name a replacement. And he is under pressure not to miss this opportunity.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's running mate, Paul Ryan, has staked out a reputation in Congress as a fiscal conservative. He has spoken out against President Obama's efforts to jump-start the economy with the stimulus law and, after a conversion a few years ago, now opposes earmarks. But when it comes to helping out his district in southern Wisconsin, Ryan's principles have been flexible.

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and running mate Paul Ryan stopped off in Ryan's home state of Wisconsin Sunday. Ryan has represented Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District for 14 years. In that time, he's gained national attention for proposing sweeping changes to the way government works while also watching out for his constituents.

U.S. Representative Todd Akin pulled an upset victory on Tuesday in the Missouri GOP primary. His win may have given incumbent Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill her best shot at re-election for a highly contested seat. Akin is a six-term House member from the St. Louis suburbs, and known as an ultra-conservative. He came from behind to beat a businessman who spent more than $7 million of his own money and a former state treasurer backed by Sarah Palin.

Job creation in July was better than in the previous months and better than expected. But Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney focused on the still-high unemployment rate in responding to the report today. President Obama said the report was a sign of progress in the economy.

Mitt Romney campaigned Thursday in Colorado, the first domestic appearances since returning from his trip to Europe and the Middle East. He huddled with Republican governors who heaped praise on him in Aspen, where he also held a fundraiser. And, NPR's Brian Naylor reports, he addressed a rally in a Denver suburb.

As he shadowed President Obama's bus tour in Pennsylvania early this month, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty gave a pretty good impression of a man auditioning for a job.

There was Pawlenty as attack dog, one of the traditional roles of a running mate.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney sat for a hastily arranged flurry of TV interviews Friday, strongly denying he had any role in running Bain Capital at a time when, according to reports, the company invested in firms that outsourced jobs overseas.

He also called for an apology from President Obama for statements by his campaign that Romney said were beneath the dignity of the presidency.