0 and O — Zero and Obama — visual harmony, at least, as the new job numbers for August are announced.

"The U.S. says the economy added no jobs in August, the worst number since September 2010. The jobless rate was unchanged at 9.1%."

Email alert from CNN. Here's the article:

"We expected a weak report, and what we got was even weaker," said Patrick O'Keefe, director of economic research at J.H. Cohn.

The report was partially distorted by 22,000 state workers in Minnesota returning to work after a temporary government shutdown in July, as well as 45,000 Verizon workers on strike in August.

Those effects made it hard to compare the August jobs number to the 85,000 jobs gained in July.

Still though, the overall figure is considered dismal in comparison to job gains of about 200,000-a-month earlier this year.

"When our attention is drawn to the Verizon strike and the Minnesota situation, it's akin to saying that a skunk had bad breath, and then it took a dinner mint. That doesn't suddenly change the fact that it's still a skunk and it still stinks," O'Keefe said.

Ah, but wait. The President is about to give a speech about to a Joint Session of Congress. Perhaps he has an idea for a better and stronger after-dinner mint for the skunk!