GOP Blames Dems for UI Benefits Expiration?

[cal04]

by mcjoan
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/4/1/853189/-GOP-Blames-Dems-for-UI-Benefits-Expiration

It's really hard to over-exaggerate the depths to which Republicans will sink when they pull shit like this.
(GOP Hopes to Blame Dems for Expiration of Unemployment Benefits)
http://washingtonindependent.com/81197/gop-hopes-to-blame-dems-for-expiration-of-unemployment-benefits

From the department of irony comes this Roll Call story indicating that Senate Republicans — whose objections to a one-month extension of the filing deadline for unemployment benefits will affect hundreds of thousands of jobless folks next week — are hoping to blame Democrats for their inability to pass the extension bill.

A GOP leadership aide said that while “unemployment and welfare have traditionally been Democratic issues,” Republicans believe the inability of Democrats to pass an extension last week can play to their favor.

Rewind that tape.

Senate Republicans are lining up to battle Democrats if they try to push through another 30-day extension of the jobless benefits without finding a way to pay for them first.

Leading the charge this time around will likely be Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who has built up far more goodwill with the leadership than has Bunning, the 78-year-old former Major League Baseball pitcher who has a testy relationship with his home-state counterpart, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

Coburn said it’s "highly doubtful" he’d let Democrats quickly pass an extension this week to keep benefits going until May 5 – if the $10 billion isn’t offset with spending cuts.

Republicans successfully delayed the vote until late on the last day before the scheduled recess, leaving Senate leadership scrambling to try to get the House--which had finished the day by passing the health insurance and student loan reform reconciliation bill--to agree to a one week extension. But it was basically too late, with many House members already gone and the deal unworkable.

So Mitch McConnell wants you to believe that none of this happened because of Republican obstruction--it's the Democrats' fault. That's after Bunning's legendary antics, after Coburn's obstruction. And after this, two weeks even before Bunning. (video)


Yeah, that's Mitch McConnell on February 12, refusing to take up an amendment to extend unemployment benefits for one week

[tonysam]

1. It isn't an "extension," just a filing date change.

An extension would be a Tier V, which needs to happen SOON.

[badgolfer]

2. Unemployment ext

Since some of the Republican senators will not let this be voted on unless it is paid for, I say that all Federal funds be withheld from the States of Kentucky, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Mississippi. Let's see how bad they want it paid for.

Funny how they never worried about paying for Bush's two wars, two tax cuts, and Medicare part D.