Let’s take a look at the GOP’s (and one DINO’s) reasons for blocking an extension of unemployment benefits for over 1 million Americans.
Chuck Grassley reiterates that the GOP would be fine with extending jobless benefits, as long as they are paid for with already appropriated stimulus funds.
“Ninety percent of the bill isn’t controversial,” Grassley said, concluding that the big problem is that he and many other lawmakers don’t want to add to the federal deficit. He chided Democrats for refusing to pay fully for the legislation with offsetting savings, revenue increases or the remaining federal stimulus funds.
Even though Democrats repeatedly cut the bill in an effort to win Republican backing, the latest version would have added $55 billion to the nation’s $1.4 trillion deficit over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Grassley said he’s heard from his constituents that they are tired of the government running up huge debt, and that the message is starting to get through to Democrats as well.
“It wasn’t just Republicans who voted against the bill in the U.S. House,” he said. “There were plenty of Blue Dog Democrats who don’t agree with this type of spending either.”
There are two basic problems with that. First, jobless benefits have always been passed as emergency funding, in every Congress under every administration since the program was created.
But, second, with states in dire crisis and stimulus funds already drying up, what’s left of that money needs to be used for the purpose it was intended: creating new jobs.
Republicans are holding the economy hostage, with the enabling of Ben Nelson, who’s bored with hearing about the jobless.
[A]s Sen. Debbie Stabenow told reporters yesterday afternoon, the same should’ve applied to the current jobs bill: "15 million people unemployed," she stressed, "is an emergency."
Not so, according to Ben Nelson. "I don’t buy that distinction," Nelson said yesterday. "At some point, it ceases to be an emergency. It’s ongoing…I think the bill should be paid for."
Republicans have a political reason to keep the economy in the dumps–they want to use it for political gain… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Daily Kos>
Given that the GOP were the ones that ran up 82% of that huge debt and only care about balancing the budget when a Democrat is in office, I’ll call their explanation what it is: a lie.
Keith Olbermann has something to say about this in his special comment.
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So what does this say about compassionate conservatives. In today’s GOP, the very notion is a self contradicting statement.
8 Responses to ““Compassionate” Conservatives”
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Debbie Stabenow is right – the Repubs are holding the economy and the unemployed hostage. In some places, there just are no jobs. And this is an emergency. I could survive without my unemployment, but savings are rapidly dwindling and that unemployment check helps a lot. I doubt that most people have the savings that I did since most worked paycheck to paycheck. And the meager unemployment that they get barely covers anything. And if you have kids, it’s worse. $25/child is all you get from unemployment. How are you supposed to feed and clothe a child on that amount of money – it can’t be done.
Lisa, I agree. Structural unemployment has never been higher. If every job opening that exists were filled by a qualified applicant in the right location, 17% of our available workers would still be unemployed.
It should also be added that that number will only increase as the economy is not expanding fast enough to employ the people coming into the work force, either.
Oh, and you have to work until you are 70, according to Boner. So, if that were to ever go through (which I know it won’t), the number would increase FASTER because Baby Boomers would take longer to retire. Brilliant. Just brilliant. Not only do they suck at politics, they can’t do basic math.
True, Otis. The number I gave includes “discouraged” (BS, pure and simple) workers, but as long as we are born at a greater rate than we die, it will grow. Of course the GOP solution is to accelerate the death rate. Boner’s plan was FOD. (Flaccid on Delivery).
Just remember, they just have to sell the car in November. Once the American people have bought it, they own it. No give backs.
I am seriously rethinking my 3rd Party vote for another round of Jellyfish Jackasses. Which, if they win by a landslide, they will still base all of their decisions from Faux Noise. At least what they pass will be watered down GOP crap as opposed to full strength. Can’t win for losing. {Whistles ‘O Canada’}
Otis, as I’ve said time and time again, the Democratic party is a fetid swamp, but before we drain it, we need to get rid of the GOP alligators.
Psychological studies suggest there is no such thing as a compassionate conservative. People who are essentially missing the compassion and empathy aspects to personality, gravitate to the conservative party base. Thus the conservative party (GOP) is normally without such feelings. Liberals express compassion in a large way, and tend toward the Democrats, making it the natural repository of compassionate positions.
Thanks for the input Sherry. That makes excellent sense to me. One would not expect compassion from the party of preemptive war, unbridled greed, and bigoted intolerance.