GOP Chooses Tax Cuts for Billionaires Over Jobless Benefits for the Unemployed

http://crooksandliars.com/jon-perr/gop-chooses-tax-cuts-billionaires-over-jobless

GOP Chooses Tax Cuts for Billionaires Over Jobless Benefits for the Unemployed
By Jon Perr Tuesday Jun 29, 2010 7:00am

Refusing to extend unemployment benefits to 1.2 million Americans by adding to the deficit, Senate Republicans by a 41 to 57 margin on Thursday again filibustered the Democratic billion jobs bill. As it turns out, most of the roughly $35 billion still needed to pay for it could largely come from a single source: the estate tax. But thanks to the same GOP obstructionism, Republicans have chosen a one-year windfall for a handful of billionaires over millions of Americans in the throes of financial crisis.

Already scaled back from its original $200 billion price tag, the $112 billion jobs package includes tax cuts, critically needed aid to states and the extension of unemployment benefits. On Sunday, Maine Republican Olympia Snowe wrote to Harry Reid suggesting Democrats cut further by offering a stand-alone unemployment insurance bill. For a Republican Party which had no problem with deficit spending during times of prosperity, helping struggling Americans during a recession is another matter altogether, As the New York Times reported:

The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, has insisted that the bill not add to the deficit. Democrats argued that they had found ways to cover the entire cost of the $112 billion measure, with the exception of the $35.5 billion extension of unemployment benefits, which some Republicans said they could accept...

"The only thing Republicans have opposed in this debate are job-killing taxes and adding to the national debt," Mr. McConnell said. Anticipating that Democrats would reject his proposal, he added, "Their commitment to deficit spending trumps their desire to help the unemployed."

Of course, as they made crystal clear with the perpetual effort to kill the estate tax, Republicans' commitment to the rich trumps everything else.

We'll elect R Crist over the D Meek in the Florida US Senate race!!

That's what some DUers have been working for.

I've heard a few people opine that Crist and Meek are equally useless to progressives. I haven't seen anyone Campaigning for Crist on this site over the dem.

Just above this link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8649576&mesg_id=8651461

I've been told Crist is already the winner. That DU should allow members to support Crist.

It's been going on for weeks, next time, IIR, I'll send you a link to a current exposition of Crist support.

or idea of a common good. The Poor and Working Class have
never been their concern. Think about it, they are living
up to their principles. The Republican Party is the party
of the Rich and Big Business. Why we seem to expect anything
different sometimes amazes me.

Now this is important. In the 80s they took up the GOD, Guns
Gays and Abortion which brought the Christian Coalition
under their tent. Even so, they kept economic issues separate.
To hold the Christians under they tent, they are continuously,
roiling them up on these issues. They keep them occupied with
these issues while taking care of the Rich and the Powerful.
The CC believe the GOP must give all the breaks to Rich and
Powerful because they create jobs. The Unions ran all the
jobs out of the country, for starters.

Since there is never Liberal Voices to contradict, the stories
lie out there as Gospel Truth.

The worst thing in this whold saga, is the Democratic Party
immulating the GOP.