We're not in a recession -- technically -- but today's jobs report will surely fuel the recession embers, while others argue that the economy is in fact showing resilience. From the NYT:

Many Americans earned less in April, the government said on Friday, as the economy shed 20,000 jobs, the fourth consecutive month of decline. The drop in payrolls was less severe than expected, but businesses and employees continued to feel the effects of a widespread downturn.

Economists had been bracing for a decline of up to 85,000 jobs, in line with the rate of losses over the first three months of the year. Instead, service industries like restaurants and medical care recorded a surge of new hires, according to the Labor Department.

The unemployment rate dropped as well, to 5 percent from 5.1 percent in March, as a separate survey of households, which is considered more volatile, showed that employment actually rose last month. It is not uncommon for the two surveys to disagree.

Much of the debate over recession is moot at this point. Most Americans feel the economy is not going well, so piddling over numbers won't be the best way for someone like McCain to make the best of a worsening situation. But at the same time that's hard to do -- and not necessarily the right thing to do -- when Democrats greet bad news gleefully.