The sad tale of the Democrats who hated the unemployed

[ProSense]

The sad tale of the Democrats who hated the unemployed

Most of them are now, ironically, jobless

Last summer, we met the Democrats who hated the unemployed -- the 16 House votes from the majority party against an emergency extension of unemployment benefits. They were:

John Adler, D-N.J.
Brian Baird, D-Wash.
Melissa Bean, D-Ill.
Marion Berry, Blue Dog-Ark.
Bobby Bright, Blue Dog-Ala.
Travis Childers, Blue Dog-Miss.
Jim Cooper, Blue Dog-Tenn.
Joe Donnelly, Blue Dog-Ind.
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Blue Dog-S.D.
Baron Hill, Blue Dog-Ind.
Frank Kratovil, Blue Dog-Md.
Betsy Markey, Blue Dog-Colo.
Jim Marshall, Blue Dog-Ga.
Walt Minnick, Blue Dog-Idaho
Glenn Nye, Blue Dog-Va.
Heath Shuler, Blue Dog-N.C.

These brave politicians bucked their free-spending, ultra-liberal party, and cast votes in favor of fiscal responsibility. And for their willingness to oppose Barack Obama's liberal agenda, nearly all of them were rewarded with early (and ironic) retirement from public service.

Brian Baird and Marion Berry retired. Melissa Bean will probably lose. Of everyone else listed, only Heath Shuler, Jim Cooper, and Joe Donnelly won reelection.

At least they can move on from Congress knowing that they did everything in their power to make paying the rent as difficult as possible for a bunch of unemployed Americans. That's something to be proud of.

And Heath Shuler thinks he should be Minority Leader?

<...>

"I've been saying for two years that politicians ignore the pressing needs of the unemployed at their own peril," said Judy Conti, a lobbyist for the National Employment Law Project. "This is an angry and increasingly organized group of people, and no matter how concerned the average person is about deficit spending, the vast majority understand that we cannot abandon the unemployed over misguided notions of how to reduce the deficit."

Reps Jim Cooper (Tenn.), Mike McIntyre (N.C.), and Heath Shuler (N.C.) voted against reauthorizing the benefits in July and won reelection on Tuesday.

Everybody will get another chance to vote on reauthorizing extended unemployment benefits when Congress reconvenes on Nov. 15 for its lame duck session. If the benefits are not reauthorized by the end of the month, NELP estimates that two million people will prematurely stop receiving aid by the end of the year.

"I hope that all members will step up and support an extension of unemployment benefits so that no one will suffer during the holiday season," said Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), sponsor of the bill to reauthorize benefits this summer, in a statement to HuffPost.

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[Inchworm]

1. Do they get to draw?

:rofl:

I never thought of that. Aren't they, in effect, fired?

:hi:

[liberalhistorian]

3. I wouldn't feel too sorry for them at all. They still get their

cushy pensions and their nice, fat, cadillac, no-hassles-little-expense health plans for life, very much unlike the rest of us, you know, the ones WHO PAY FOR IT FOR THEM.

The only problem is that, for the most part, the ones who replaced them are going to be far worse when it comes to these things, especially the needs of the unemployed and desperate. Like the hateful vindictive completely clueless Palin-clone dipshit who replaced my own congress critter, Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin. She is going to be an absolute nightmare, much, much worse than Sandlin. She's also a hypocrite extraordinaire. She screams and rants about cutting spending and the deficit, but she and her family farm enjoy nice, fat federal farm subsidies that have added up to millions of dollars. She's made it clear she has no intention of giving those up or allowing them to be changed. She also won't refuse the nice, cushy benefits congress critters receive even though she's against health care reform and doesn't care about those of us in this state who can't afford insurance or care. IOW, I've got mine, fuck you. Oh, my subsidies and benefits are paid for by you? Thank you very much and FUCK YOU.

The only consolation is that she barely squeaked by, she by no means has a mandate at all. She barely made it by two percent, which means that at least 52 percent of people had some sense and saw the repuke for who she really is.

[ProSense]

4. And that's the problem

"The only problem is that, for the most part, the ones who replaced them are going to be far worse when it comes to these things, especially the needs of the unemployed and desperate."

I would rather see Heath Shuler than a Republican in his seat if it helps Dems to keep the majority.

These Democrats helped to block benefits for two months. Republicans have a clear majority in the House, it will be on them to extend benefits. Let's see if they have the guts to deny unemployement benefits for their constituents.

[liberalhistorian]

6. Oh, they will not only have the guts to do it,

they will do it proudly then run back to their bankster masters and boast about it, while sitting around making even more outlandish statements about how "lazy" and "undeserving" the unemployed are, while sitting around collecting salary and benefits paid for by the very people they're screwing and putting down.

[ProSense]

7. Maybe, but

will it position them to keep their 2010 election gains in 2012?

[stray cat]

2. They hate all of america because they didn't vote to give each of us money!

:rofl:

[dkf]

5. Create jobs...not unemployment.