2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumGOP is losing on unemployment insurance — and running scared
Newly assertive Democrats force Republicans to scramble to defend their insurance-cutting cruelty to the unemployed
JOAN WALSH
Its way too early to declare victory on extending unemployment insurance benefits to the long-term jobless. Yes, six Republicans joined Democrats to let the measure come up for debate and a vote. That shouldnt even make headlines, but given the filibuster-happy GOP Senate minority in the age of Barack Obama, its news. Still, not all of the six are likely to support the bill, though it will almost certainly pass the Senate. It faces real trouble in John Boehners House, where the tanned and rested speaker returned from his long vacation telling Democrats theyll have to cut other safety-net programs to pay for it.
But its worth noting how much Democrats have already changed the UI debate. Republicans have gone from flat refusals to extend long-term unemployment to insisting theyll consider an extension, as long as its paid for. Thats progress worth acknowledging.
Sure, Congress extended UI 14 of 17 times without finding funds to pay for it, including five times under George W. Bush. The partys recent extremism on unemployment insurance is just another measure of how far it has shifted right in the last five years. But Democrats new boldness on issues of economic populism and income inequality has Republicans scrambling for a politically palatable reply on UI as well as the larger issue of poverty and opportunity.
Sen. Rand Paul is the poster boy for the GOPs ideological scramble. In early December he flatly dismissed a UI extension by saying it did a disservice to the unemployed. Four weeks later, after spending some of his winter break back in Kentucky, where unemployment remains high and 38,000 jobless people lost benefits Dec. 28, Paul shifted a little, agreeing to consider an extension as long as its paid for.
more
http://www.salon.com/2014/01/07/gop_is_losing_on_unemployment_insurance_and_running_scared/
global1
(25,241 posts)I listened to the debate in the Senate on this UI issue. Seems like they are trying to moderate their stands and look like they are being good guys (in some odd way) to the middle class - that they have consistently and systematically tried to destroy. Oh yeah - it's an election year. Hmmmm.......
Well - President Obama and the Dems should call their bluff on this jobs thing - and come back at them with a infrastructure jobs proposal.
Give them the one-two punch here and make them put their money were their 'election year' mouths are.
elleng
(130,865 posts)Wait for the 'lower' house.
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)must center around fairness for those in need, the lost ground for the middleclass and portraying the GOp as the heartless bastards they are in protecting the rich and powerful
unemployment insurance is just one of many issues:
- federal minimum wage
- corporate tax loophole closures as well as a minimum corporate tax rate that must be paid
- medicare expansion even more into obamacare moving towards a single payer program
- infrastructure investment program and jobs bill
the best way to overcome the GOP is to be sure to remind all people what what they stand for
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Brigid
(17,621 posts)Public funding for election campaigns.
mucifer
(23,530 posts)There are lots of working class and middle class people who have jobs who say no one who doesn't work should get any help.
Of course the people saying that aren't thinking they could be laid off and suffer the same consequences as those they are criticizing. It just drives me crazy.
DCBob
(24,689 posts)They will try to find some way to blame Obama and the Dems if it doesn't pass.
Cha
(297,144 posts)Mahalo DonViejo
Brigid
(17,621 posts)People have only to look around at the economy, which is slowly beginning to improve despite the efforts of the GOP to prevent it (can't let the black guy get a win, yanno), and their obvious contempt for struggling Americans to see what they're really about.