Sen. Bunning (R): Tough sh*t unemployed.

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Jim Bunning, a Republican from Kentucky, is single-handedly blocking Senate action needed to prevent an estimated 1.2 million American workers from prematurely losing their unemployment benefits next month.

As Democratic senators asked again and again for unanimous consent for a vote on a 30-day extension Thursday night, Bunning refused to go along.

And when Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) begged him to drop his objection, Politico reports, Bunning replied: "Tough shit."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/26/jim-bunning-repeatedly-bl_n_477910.html

The NOP strikes again. Real classy guy there using the unemployed to grandstand.

 

[theeedude]

In fairness, at some point these ever extended unemployment benefits become nothing more than government welfare. Unemployment insurance is not supposed to be a permanent thing.

 

[Thump553]

In fairness, at some point these ever extended unemployment benefits become nothing more than government welfare. Unemployment insurance is not supposed to be a permanent thing.

This was a very limited time extension (3-4 weeks) for unemployment comp and Medicare reimbursement levels that the leadership of BOTH parties agreed to. Bunning took advantage of Senate rules to pull his grandstanding stunt when there wasn't a quorum available to overrule him. Without a doubt the full Senate will reverse Bunning this week-the only thing he accomplished was tea party publicity for himself and damage to a lot of unemployed people, doctors and potential patients.

 

[Anarchist420]

Well, in his defense, unemployment benefits are bankrupting us, and there's ways to raise the employment rate that few in Congress are even considering.

 

[Hacp]

Finally a senator I can be proud of.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Well, in his defense, unemployment benefits are bankrupting us, and there's ways to raise the employment rate that few in Congress are even considering.

Yeah, THAT is what is bankrupting the US, the welfare of it's own population.

Anything spent towards your own population gets back into your own fucking economy, the sheit with nationbuilding and supporting foreign nations efforts does not, trust me on this, as an Enghlishman i know this all too well.

 

[Ozoned]

~from prematurely losing their unemployment benefits next month.




Did I read that right?

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Finally a senator I can be proud of.

Well, you've never been a bright one so that comes as no surprise.

 

[Fern]

Bunning says he doesn't oppose extending benefits -- he just doesn't want the money that's required added to the deficit. He proposes paying for the 30-day extension with stimulus funds.

Selective quoting FTL.

Basically he wants PAYGO adhered to.

I don't see any good reason for this problem. Lately everything that comes around in Congress is done at the last minute creating an artificial crisis. Why is that?

Fern

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Selective quoting FTL.

Basically he wants PAYGO adhered to.

I don't see any good reason for this problem. Lately everything that comes around in Congress is done at the last minute creating an artificial crisis. Why is that?

Fern

Of course you don't see a good reason, it doesn't affect you and that is all you will ever care about.

Any proud and functional nation takes care of it's own citisens. That USED to be something the US adhered to.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Selective quoting FTL.

Basically he wants PAYGO adhered to.

I don't see any good reason for this problem. Lately everything that comes around in Congress is done at the last minute creating an artificial crisis. Why is that?

Fern

Yeah, he's a big fan of paygo, since way back in Jan. 2009 sometime.

 

[EagleKeeper]

There is already $$ available for this purpose. Use them vs adding in more deficit.
The additional deficit will somehow never get paid down.

The Congress needs to stand up and draw a line in the sand at some point.
To always put off the hard decisions until tommorrow does not bode well.

Such an attitude has dug us deeper into this hole.
Using a crisis as an excuse to sidestep common sense does not help matters at all.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

There is already $$ available for this purpose. Use them vs adding in more deficit.
The additional deficit will somehow never get paid down.

The Congress needs to stand up and draw a line in the sand at some point.
To always put off the hard decisions until tommorrow does not bode well.

Such an attitude has dug us deeper into this hole.
Using a crisis as an excuse to sidestep common sense does not help matters at all.

You'd think that strangling the efforts to build in other economies would go first since every dollar spent in your own economy goes into your own economy but no such luck.

I'm sorry Eagle, you're wrong on this one.

 

[her209]

Does this expiration include the 65% cost subsidy to COBRA?

 

[Zebo]

It is only a matter of time before massive numbers of unemployed and Americans in general realize they have been had by the Bankers and the politicians who work for them. That bankers and politicians simply created the largest ponzi scheme the world has ever seen and American can only grow if new credit is advanced each year.

Americans will learn that essentially their entire retirement schemes was based on buying a variety of debt obligations from their bankers and brokers that mathematically can't be paid back without making currency worthless.

Americans will ask why can bankers borrow from government for free and loan the same dollars back to government at much higher rates and citizens can't while bankers make 1% of GDP in bonuses a year. They will ask why are they getting cut off from unemployment benefits and loans while bailed out bankers get endless credit?

Interesting times ahead as Citizens will get angry and revert back to the principles which founded out great nation such as no taxation without representation...don't tread on me.....give me liberty or give me death.

 

[Carmen813]

Does this expiration include the 65% cost subsidy to COBRA?

yes

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

It is only a matter of time before massive numbers of unemployed and Americans in general realize they have been had by the Bankers and the politicians who work for them. That bankers and politicians simply created the largest ponzi scheme the world has ever seen and American can only grow if new credit is advanced each year.

Americans will learn that essentially their entire retirement schemes was based on buying a variety of debt obligations from their bankers and brokers that mathematically can't be paid back without making currency worthless.

Americans will ask why can bankers borrow from government for free and loan the same dollars back to government at much higher rates and citizens can't while bankers make 1% of GDP in bonuses a year. They will ask why are they getting cut off from unemployment benefits and loans while bailed out bankers get endless credit?

Interesting times ahead as Citizens will get angry and revert back to the principles which founded out great nation such as no taxation without representation...don't tread on me.....give me liberty or give me death.

Same in pretty much every bloody economy these days, i don't know what we can do about it but i do know that a revolution wouldn't do jack sheit.

 

[Ozoned]

Of course you don't see a good reason, it doesn't affect you and that is all you will ever care about.

Any proud and functional nation takes care of it's own citisens. That USED to be something the US adhered to.

How is that homeless rate in your proud nation?

 

[Siddhartha]

Yeah, THAT is what is bankrupting the US, the welfare of it's own population.

Anything spent towards your own population gets back into your own fucking economy, the sheit with nationbuilding and supporting foreign nations efforts does not, trust me on this, as an Enghlishman i know this all too well.

A lot of people in this thread would change their tune if they lost their jobs and had to feed their kids and was in danger of losing their homes and becoming homeless.

Until these people actually experience hard times they can not really relate to anyone who is.

 

[Hacp]

Look at China. Lax regulation, low wages and they are booming. Yes there is an employment problem in China, but its the other way around. They can't find enough workers! Workers wages are rising NATURALLY because of a lack of supply.

As I said, reduce taxes, reduce regulation, get rid of laws favoring unions and watch our unemployment drop.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

How is that homeless rate in your proud nation?

If there is one there is one too many.

On a rate we have a lot fewer than most nations with a comparable economy but that doesn't matter and i am NOT saying that the UK leads sheit when it comes to taking care of our citisens, i'm many things but i'll never be a blind patriot to any nation.

Are we clear?

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

A lot of people in this thread would change their tune if they lost their jobs and had to feed their kids and was in danger of losing their homes and becoming homeless.

Until these people actually experience hard times they can not really relate to anyone who is.

Same sheit in all nations, until we have real power of the people, nothing will ever change.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Look at China. Lax regulation, low wages and they are booming. Yes there is an employment problem in China, but its the other way around. They can't find enough workers! Workers wages are rising NATURALLY because of a lack of supply.

As I said, reduce taxes, reduce regulation, get rid of laws favoring unions and watch our unemployment drop.

You are looking towards China as a good example? A communist dictatorship that puts underaged citisens to death for critisising their government?

There is something fucked up in your head right there.

 

[spittledip]

Of course you don't see a good reason, it doesn't affect you and that is all you will ever care about.

Any proud and functional nation takes care of it's own citisens. That USED to be something the US adhered to.

What? When did the US care about all of its citizens? We have always had a marginalized population at just about every point in our history. Things are probably better now for everybody than they ever were. Of course we are still extremely flawed.

A big problem with your type of thinking is that you think the reason why someone might disagree is b/c all they care about is themselves. My guess is that Fern and others may be against this type of measure is b/c they are afraid of how it might hurt the country in the long run. I myself think that some people really need this unemployment money. So much better going to our citizens than going to the damned banks. However, I also think that the objections of others may be well-founded. It is a risk I am willing to take, though.

Now the real horrible person here is the person this thread is about. I find this comment incredibly revealing (obviously this is why it was in the article):
"And at one point during the debate, which dragged on till nearly midnight, Bunning complained of missing a basketball game.

'I have missed the Kentucky-South Carolina game that started at 9:00," he said,
"and it's the only redeeming chance we had to beat South Carolina since they're the only team that has beat Kentucky this year.'"

Amazing.

 

[sandorski]

Look at China. Lax regulation, low wages and they are booming. Yes there is an employment problem in China, but its the other way around. They can't find enough workers! Workers wages are rising NATURALLY because of a lack of supply.

As I said, reduce taxes, reduce regulation, get rid of laws favoring unions and watch our unemployment drop.

If China Floated their Currency that would not likely bbe happening.