Laura began with Friday's jobs report and the news that unemployment remains stuck at 8.2%. She analyzed the job numbers with former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and David Callahan, co-founder of a liberal think tank. "This is not good news for America," Callahan admitted, "but when Obama took office we where hemorrhaging 700,000 jobs a month and unemployment hit 10%. So in many ways we have come a long way - we haven't lost any jobs in the last two years and we're making progress. In retrospect, the 2009 stimulus was not nearly big enough." But Chao, who served under George W. Bush, placed the blame squarely on President Obama. "This is now his economy. Yes, he may have inherited a bad economy but he made it worse. The number of people working is at an all time low - there are many Americans who have grown discouraged and have withdrawn from the work force. This economy is stuck and clearly this President has not performed!"

Some Republicans are criticizing Mitt Romney for not taking advantage of the dismal economy and the Supreme Court's Obamacare ruling. Laura asked Republican strategist Chris Begala about Romney's recent decision to take a family vacation. "These are not the best images," Begala conceded, "but it is the first week of July, there are a lot of people taking vacations, and he's with his family." Begala argued that Romney will soon focus on President Obama's record. "The center and the right of the country want President Obama out and they want these policies stopped. In the long run, the Romney campaign is in a good position." Laura took issue with that assertion, saying, "I'm looking at these poll numbers and I'm not finding them all that comforting."

The largest California teachers' union helped defeat a proposed law that would have made it easier for schools to fire teachers accused of sexual misconduct. Laura discussed the issue with radio talk show hosts Leslie Marshall and Janine Turner. "I am a union gal," Marshall began, "but I have to say that I would feel much more comfortable as a mother if we had a temporary suspension until a person is found to be innocent or guilty. If you have them anywhere near the children I definitely have a problem." Turner used the incident to argue for greater school choice. "Who is looking out for the children? This is why school choice is so important - it helps dignify the children and gives the parents more say." Laura concluded, "People start wondering whether unions put the interest of their members first or the interest of children."

With the black unemployment rate at 14.4%, a few prominent blacks have begun criticizing President Obama. Laura welcomed Rev. Jacques DeGraff, an unwavering supporter of the President. "What you're seeing right now," he said, "is a family conversation in the African American community. There is some disenchantment with a number of things that have happened, but when you weigh Barack Obama against Mitt Romney, there is no comparison. President Obama is a role model for our community - he and his family have been devoid of scandal, they live and exemplify family values." Author and filmmaker Janks Morton concurred, but questioned whether blacks will be as enthused as they were in 2008. "When you talk about the issues that are affecting the black community today, are we better off now than we were three-and-a-half years ago? It just doesn't give that appearance. The question is whether the black community will turn out in the same way that they did in 2008, which helped him get elected."

Conservative Republican Congressman Joe Walsh has been under fire for criticizing his Democratic opponent Lt. Col Tammy Duckworth. He accused Duckworth, who lost both her legs in Iraq, of exploiting her military service, saying, "That's all she talks about." Walsh entered the No Spin Zone to defend his comments. "That was said at a town hall meeting about Obamacare," Walsh explained. "What I did at the beginning of that town hall is what I do at all my town halls - I recognized the heroes in our presence. Any man or woman who wears a uniform is a hero and I've said that about Tammy countless times. Her background demands our respect, but it doesn't demand our vote!" Walsh pointed out that Duckworth has the full backing of Democratic heavyweights. "I'm running against a woman who has David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel running her campaign. I've become the White House's number one target and they're throwing everything at me." Laura advised Walsh that he is in a no-win situation. "She has said blistering things about the Tea Party movement and you. But you're in a position where you have to watch every word you say, lest you be branded as insensitive to her plight."

Democratic Congressman Andre Carson, a Muslim from Indiana, contended that U.S. schools should follow the model of Islamic religious madrassas. Laura invited Muslim spokesperson Harris Zafar to react to Carson's statement. "I don't think it's fair to say he's advocating for some kind of Taliban-style education in America" Zafar said. "I understand his comments to mean that the educational system in America can benefit from the experience and curricula of American Muslim schools, as well as the emphasis on education and rationality and pluralism found in the Koran. What I think is part of the confusion is the use of the word 'madrassa,' but that Arabic word only means 'school.' It has no implication of a religious affiliation." Laura decried the religious double standard, saying, "If an evangelical Christian member of Congress got up and said something like this, he or she would be excoriated by the left."

Friday's Pinhead: 23-year-old Bill Omer of Houston, who was arrested for animal cruelty after leaving his pit bull in his broiling hot car for 90 minutes. The dog died, but Omer hammed it up when cops snapped his mug shot.