The curve ball in baseball, if thrown correctly, is a pitcher's "out pitch." Breaking anywhere from 6 to 12 inches down and 4-8 inches to the side, a Major League curve ball flummoxes even hitters destined for the Hall of Fame.

If it is thrown correctly.

If not, the ball spins up to the place at batting practice speed and hangs like ripe fruit over the middle of the plate with a sign on the ball screaming "Hit Me!"

In baseball parlance, it's called a "hanging curve." And in politics, Obama has thrown one right into the GOP's wheelhouse.

ABC News:

"Sadly, this so-called 'Recovery Summer' could end up with more Americans finding themselves out of work then when it began," said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Ken Spain. "Expect Republican candidates across the country to ask one simple question of Democrat incumbents: 'Where are the jobs?'"

Private companies only added 153,000 jobs in May, June and July combined, according to the Labor Department. If you count government jobs and the shedding of special Census hires, the net gains were only 80,000 over the period. The economy would need to add 8 million jobs to reach pre-recession levels.

Most economists agree the $787 billion Recovery Act has helped prevent the recession from being significantly worse, boosting the gross domestic product and stemming job losses. But many say its effect has largely begun to wear off.

That sound you heard was the crack of the bat as GOP candidates make solid contact against their Democratic opponents. It's a can't miss, 100% godsend for Republicans to throw "Recovery Summer" back in the faces of Dems as they try and change the subject to anything but jobs.

Any Republican who uses this strategy is bound to hit a few out of the park.