I’ve read several rants blaming Democrats for letting Bunning get away with this, but that’s not fair. The Republican and Democratic leadership had agrees to pass this measure by unanimous consent, and most of the Senators left for the weekend. The Democratic leadership had no idea that Bunning planned this, and when he dropped the bomb, there were no longer sixty Senator’s left to override his filibuster. The net effect is that the GOP derailed several important programs in addition to cutting off unemployment benefits for thousands of workers, displaced by the GOP’s No Millionaire Left Behind program. They can now lie and say they did not know either, blaming it all on Bunning, who is not seeking reelection.
In the midst of the worst economy in decades, Republican U.S. Senator Jim Bunning last night again took to the floor of the United States Senate to block passage of legislation that would extend unemployment benefits to out-of-work Americans -- and his party is doing nothing to stop him.
It's worth watching his mean-spirited obstructionism -- and Harry Reid's and Dick Durbin's attempts to cajole him into supporting the legislation -- to get a sense of just how committed some Republicans are to doing the wrong thing for America:
Bunning is the poster-child of the most callous, heartless political party in modern American history, and they are proud of it. If they get their way, this coming Sunday, unemployment benefits will expire for countless out-of-work Americans because a handful of extremist ideologues decided to tie the U.S. Senate up in knots… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Daily Kos>
Only a true GOP Sweetheart could be so heartless and so devious.
15 comments:
This hall of fame asshole made his money playing a game that these same class of unemployed folks paid to watch and follow. He certainly is admission that the American League shouldn't force pitchers to bat, Bunning took a few to many to the head.
The Republicans seem to be taking it turns to be asshat of the week, "it's my turn, you were an asshat last week."
Good one Holte! And funny on you too WM - I'm not a sports girl at all - for the longest time I thought there were only 7 innings in baseball, because that's when we left to go to the bar (duh, how blonde am I?), but even I got your metaphor. I was in my 40's before I realized that there was 9 innings (and on a date with a huge baseball fan) and when the 7th inning came around, I said "time to go" and he said - "Lisa, there are 9 innings in baseball." "No, shit?" "No shit". Needless to say that was our first and last date.
Sorry, but baseball is like watching paint dry for me - I go for the social aspect of it, the drinking with friends and talking to them. Most of the time I don't even know who's playing, "Um, the Cubs and someone else?"
We need to have our employment extented because there are just no jobs at this time. I have been out there looking for over 1 and 1/2 years and still nothing i have put resumes all over with no luck. So please congress just because you have a job and don't have to worry about supporting your family, please don't let us down. We deserve to be able to provide for our familys as well. We don't want to become homeless, I fear for my family if I don't get an extension, we will be out in the street. What do i tell my children. So please if not for the adults then for the families with children who depend on us to provide. Please consider the extenion and help us out.
Ample proof that the Republicans as a whole don't care about working people in the least and only care about millionaires and big companies, and that Jim Bunning is the worst of the worst and the coldest of the cold in that most wretched political party since the Nazis! Bunning should be BOOTED from the Senate; his pension cancelled, and then his assets be frozen. Then and only then would the dumb ass understand what strapped, non-working Americans are going through!
The sad thing is, while we vent our frustrations and call this loon every name in the book, people out there are hurting like hell. On top of it all I bet he claims to be a good Christian and goes to church every Sunday - unless there's a ball game on TV.
can't obama just sign an executive order on something like this? i'm not crazy about the republicans and this guy bunning seems like a mega-douche, but it seems as if the democrats aren't making much of a serious effort on this issue. why'd reid take UI benefits out of the bill in the first place? he had to know that this is an issue the republicans are willing to go to the mat on, as they blocked passage of extensions last year too.
Sarah Palin is a definite phenom, but fron this rib they created Sarah Palin? Doubletalk, doublespeak and BS?
Throw them all out of the garden!
LOL, Mark. Only ex football players belong in the Senate. ;-)
Holte, this guy took the heat because he is retiring.
LOL, Lisa. That round thing with the stitches is the ball. ;-)
Welcome Starleine. I'm so sorry that you and your family are among those being hurt, and I wish you the very best. I feel outraged that these Republican bastards play political games that cause such trauma to people like you.
Jack, I agree, but you don't go far enough. Apply that to every Republican official everywhere from wash room attendant up.
Tnlib, it's not just him. He's just the front man.
Welcome, T-man. I'm afraid that falls outside the President's purview. Reid did not strip any unemployment insurance benefits. The GOP anger is based on Reid passing a stripped down jobs bill instead of the monstrosity marked up in Finance laden with pork and more tax cuts for the rich than jobs stimulus.
I've hated this guy since Father's day 1964, when he threw a perfect game against the Mets.
The guy's had a bug up his ass since the Phillies blew that 6 game lead with ten to play.
When his own party wants him out...he has a problem. And its not because of his politics; he just acts like he'd rather be anyplace other than attending to his duties in the Senate.
Let Bunning spend the rest of his life signing autographs at card and memorabilia shows, with an annual Old Timers Game in Philly thrown in to keep him busy.
While this isn't directly connected to Bunning I heard a caller on a NPR talk show Friday, who is someone in Bunning's league say all these unemployed people need to go get hired in the menial jobs that illegals aliens usually work.
While that is not a direct quote it is very close to what the caller said. The other thing that the caller said was that he felt the unemployment rate would seriously drop if people did go out and get those jobs.
The economist talking with the show's host shot the guy down quickly.
Bunning's little assoholic stunt had other effects besides cutting off people's unemployment benefits (which I didn't know about until after I did my post). There was a lot of highway funding and other infrastructure funding which is now down the tubes. This is funding that states have already paid into, but because of the deadline being missed by Bunning's killing of the bill, the states won't be getting this funding.
Another part of this thwarted bill was loans for small businesses. Surprisingly enough, it was a mainstream news site -- Yahoo.com -- where I read this. Just when you think the mainstream media only reports on corporate press releases and celebrity gossip...
Friends. Please. You're asking a turd not to stink. A blobfish not to be ugly. Dick Cheney not to torture.
Be reasonable.
LOL Truth. That made my day.
I had never heard of this fool until today (in baseball or politics). "Tough shit" Bunning is clearly an ass of the lowest caliber. I hope someday he needs help badly, and he begs for it, and no one helps him.
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