Hmm... Is The GOP Getting Worried ??? - 'Snowe Formally Calls for Standalone UI Bill' - FDL

[WillyT]

Or, at least Snowe???

Snowe Formally Calls for Standalone UI Bill
By: David Dayen Friday June 25, 2010 12:33 pm

<snip>

Olympia Snowe hinted at this yesterday, and today she made it official – she would support a standalone bill extending unemployment insurance, without offsetting the spending.

The hundreds of thousands of unemployed Americans who are losing jobless benefits every week deserve our immediate attention, so I am writing today to urge you to bring a free-standing extension of unemployment insurance benefits to the Senate floor for a vote early next week. As of today, more than 1.2 million people out of work for longer than six months are ineligible for the next tier of extended benefits, which were originally provided by the economic stimulus bill to fight the recession.

It’s worth calling her bluff. Ben Nelson would probably be the one vote needed to capture in order to get 60 votes for this. I’m not certain he would vote for it. If Snowe wants this, she can find someone else on her side of the aisle to ensure it.

There are too many lives at stake to not at least consider this for early next week. Hopefully it gets done, so we don’t have the insane experience where Republicans can block the desperately poor from being able to keep their homes and feed their families, but everyone can come together to make sure that doctors don’t get a pay cut.

UPDATE: Reid spokesman Jim Manley doesn’t sound appreciative of the concession:

“We appreciate Senator Snowe’s concerns, but the fact is that she is sending the letter to the wrong person and to the wrong party. We know that the thousands of unemployed workers in Maine want an explanation as to why she joined with all Republicans to vote against legislation to help the unemployed and why she stood silent as members of her party objected to passing the same stand-alone bill she now says she seeks. Nothing in the letter can change those facts.”

<snip>

Link: http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/06/25/snowe-formally-calls-for-standalone-ui-bill/

:shrug:

[gateley]

1. I don't know if we can consider Snowe "GOP" - she's come through a couple of

times against the grain. :shrug:

[TK421]

6. Yes, I've thought the same about her in the past as well n.t

[opihimoimoi]

2. Trying to thread that Elephant through a needle...Snowe reveals why she needs to leave

She went against the American People when she voted NO

Now she wants to clean her act???

FUCK THAT

DUMP the PUB

[JuniperLea]

3. “We appreciate Senator Snowe’s concerns"

Concern Troll!

I'm pretty damn sick of watching "We the People" get the shitty end of the stick.

[wryter2000]

4. She wants something easy to pass that'll get her off the hook

Reid's response was right on target.

Now, if he would once -- just once! -- make them stay and filibuster something, they might discover that it's worth passing something rather than missing their fundraising events.

[librechik]

8. I'm evil--I think she wants it to NOT pass, so she can say "well I tried!"

it won't pass.

[Hosnon]

5. This is a major issue and I'm glad to see this new development.

Class warfare defines everything.

[LonePirate]

7. Reid should take her up on her offer.

He really should call her bluff. Maybe she should prove her committment to the issue and bring Collins, Brown and Nelson with her on this vote.

I don't see how Reid could lose here. He either gets the benefits extension passed or he gets to trumpet another Republican vote against the American people. Then again, I'm not sure Reid is capable of strategizing in that manner.