progress on unemployment: thank you, Sen. Kerry.

[MBS]

Kerry: Senate Cloture Vote Means Help Finally on the Way for Laid-Off Workers
Some good news for a change, with Sen. Kerry, as usual, on the thoughtful, rational, and compassionate side of the issue. As to his comments about the atmosphere in Washington, Sen. Kerry speaks for me.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) today released the following statement in response to the Senate’s successful cloture vote paving the way for extension of unemployment insurance following a month of Republican obstruction and delay tactics.


“This vote was long overdue for laid-off workers hanging on by their fingernails. It shouldn’t have taken six weeks to get here and two and a half million workers should never have gone this long without unemployment insurance. It took herculean legislative skill by Harry Reid to finally break the logjam and clear the way for passage.
“We’ve got to change this atmosphere in Washington. It’s destructive, it’s poisonous, and it’s lousy for the middle class Americans who bore the brunt of the Wall Street meltdown and future generations which are on the hook for the national debt piled up the last decade. I’ve cast tough votes to tackle deficits and balance the federal budget, and I’m confident we won’t hear the same cries of fiscal austerity next week from the Minority Leader when he will urge his caucus to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans at a cost of trillions to the national debt. We’ll never fix our economy and address America’s long term economic footing if we don’t insist on an honest debate and a real dialogue about these issues.”

The Emergency Unemployment Compensation program expired at the end of May 2010. Today’s vote extends this program retroactively through November 2010. Approximately, 90,000 claimants in Massachusetts were due to exhaust benefits without this extension. This is the seventh time Senate Republicans have voted nearly unanimously against this extension.

The bill also includes a provision that will give states the option to address the current glitch in the unemployment system which penalizes workers who try to improve their economic situation by working part-time.

[Luftmensch067]

1. Thanks for posting!

I think he summed it up and you can tell he's really fed up with those hypocrite bastards!

[ProSense]

2. Glad he called out the Republicans.

Posted the statement here.

Someone needs to shine a negative light on Scott Brown.

[karynnj]

6. I like both the positive light on the good MA Senator and the negative one on the other

I think that Brown's advisers really blew it on this one. I seriously think he expected to get traction with his bill that not one Senator co-sponsored.

This was an issue where voting with the Democrats would have less impact than the financial reform bill, which he weakened before signing. I think (or at least REALLY REALLY hope) that all the people pushing the idiotic poll showing him more popular - even though that poll didn't prove that as they were both in the same confidence interval - are soon faced with a poll where this vote and his actions on the financial bill take a toll.

[wisteria]

3. Yes, it is nice to see that he called out the Republicans. n/t

[ladym55]

4. And my favorite part of his statement ...

I’m confident we won’t hear the same cries of fiscal austerity next week from the Minority Leader when he will urge his caucus to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans at a cost of trillions to the national debt. We’ll never fix our economy and address America’s long term economic footing if we don’t insist on an honest debate and a real dialogue about these issues.

We all need to join Senator Kerry and shout it from the rooftops. What a bunch of greedy hypocrites ... we only worry about the deficit when the money will be used to help those in need. There is ALWAYS lots o' cash for war and tax cuts for the wealthiest among us. :sarcasm:

[YvonneCa]

7. I agree with you completely...

...about that being the best part.

[karynnj]

5. That highlighted part is great

We already know what the minority leader thinks. Thank you for posting this.

[MBS]

8. Boston Globe coverage of Senate unemployment vote

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/07/21/senate_advances_jobless_benefits/

Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown, who has voted with Democrats on jobs legislation and financial overhaul, stuck with Republican leaders yesterday and voted to block the extension. Brown said he opposes increasing the federal deficit to pay for the $34 billion proposal. The freshman senator had unsuccessfully proposed paying to extend benefits with unspent money from the stimulus program.

“There have been numerous proposals offered in the Senate, including my legislation, to extend unemployment insurance by stopping the spending spree in Washington,’’ said Brown.

The state’s senior senator, Democrat John F. Kerry, voted yes. “This vote was long overdue for laid-off workers hanging on by their fingernails,’’ Kerry said. “It shouldn’t have taken six weeks to get here and two and a half million workers should never have gone this long without unemployment insurance.
. . .
Boston University political science professor Graham Wilson said he thinks Republicans made a miscalculation in so strongly opposing the extension.

“Republicans have been the party of ‘no’ on a number of issues without paying a political price, but I think this was one ‘no’ too far,’’ he said. As the issue carries forward to the fall elections, “If you’re a Democrat, you portray Republicans as the heartless’’ toward the middle class.

Michael Franc, vice president for government relations at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, said Republicans can also claim to be acting out of compassion.

“If you’re smart on the Republican side, you’ll frame the fiscal responsibility argument in terms of compassion: Don’t burden the next generation with unsustainable debt,’’ he said.

[Inuca]

9. "It’s destructive, it’s poisonous"

Not being a senator, I would add "it's disgusting".

Completely OT, but the current USDA episode made me sick to my stomach.

[karynnj]

10. The USDA episode is sickening - but if Obama handles it right can shine a light on these tactics

The right has used edited video and their surround sound echo chamber as part of the politics of personal destruction many times before.

Here, they miscalculated. The full tape shows that they intentionally distorted the content as well as the fact that the episode was 24 years ago. They lucked out in that the white farmers were still alive and thankful enough to speak in her behalf. In addition, she is not a politician, but seems to be a very good, competent career federal worker.

Obama really needs to personally apologize for a grave error made by his administration and to speak clearly about the politics of personal destruction. The second is just as important as the first.

[Inuca]

11. EXACTLY what I think

Apologize and explain. Shine a light on the abjection.

I do not agree with all the decisions made by the administration, but I trust Obama and liek him very much. In a sense, this is a very minor thing, but for the first time if BO does not do the "right thing" I will be truly disapointed.