Unemployment rose to 9.6 percent in August -- the highest it has been since May. Rick Scott, the Republican candidate for governor, weighed in on these numbers on Friday morning, taking aim at President Barack Obama and Democrats who have supported his economic policies, including state CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic nominee for governor.

“Today’s report that 54,000 people have lost their jobs serves as a stark reminder to Floridians that the policies trumpeted by Alex Sink and President Obama are driving our economy down the drain,” said Scott. “From the stimulus to health-care reform, the policies of the Obamacrats are only keeping more Americans out of work as opposed to my plan of reducing regulation and taxes to create 700,000 jobs in Florida.”