The Republican FILIBUSTER of the bill to extend unemployment benefits is a death blow to millions.

[Vinnie From Indy]

The Republicans just filibustered the second attempt by Democrats to extend unemployment benefits to 1.7 million laid off American workers. Mitch McConnell yesterday indicated that many GOP senators would vote no in protest of Harry Reid's recent changes in Senate rules. In short, the GOP just threw these folks to the wolves out of spite.

Democrats met almost every single demand of the Republicans over the last few weeks in regard to passing this bill and the GOP simply kept moving the goalposts and making new demands.

I ask all DU'ers to think about the millions of lives that are facing incredible and spectacular catastrophe and how today's filibuster almost guarantees that many hundreds of thousands of our fellow countrymen will fall into abject poverty because of it. My heart goes out to all of the laid off workers who will pace the floor all night tonight wondering how they and their families can survive the next few weeks and months. That goes double for the unemployed in Northern states where having your gas shut off is a major deal in this brutal winter we are having.

The only silver lining that I can find is that perhaps hundreds of thousands of conservatives among the ranks of the 1.7 million thrown off of unemployment have had the scales drop from their eyes and they now see that their party could not care less about their fates or those of their families. Hopefully, some of these republicans will be cured of the disease of modern conservatism.

[TheMastersNemesis]

1. GOP Not Worried- Those People Won't Be Able To Vote They Will Be Homeless

[Cali_Democrat]

6. Good point....you need an address to vote, right?

[indepat]

2. What kind of a person does it take to support candidates/elected official of a political

party that does such as this? Serious mental and moral defects must be present imo.

[pangaia]

18. The just think the unemployed are lazy, shiftless moochers,

so it doesn't bother them at all.

[adirondacker]

3. Well stated Vinny. I would be one of them, but had the fortune of finding a job

in the last week. Over 75 applications for professional positions and I received 2 interviews. Any of the non professional positions (Lowes, Home depot, etc) that I applied for, I didn't receive one call or feedback.

I'm still a month behind in bills and the stress is a killer, but remain optimistic for the year ahead.

Thanks for posting.

[nenagh]

27. I am very glad for you...and stress is very difficult..

[adirondacker]

29. Awe Thanks!

It's definitely a time to keep your friends close and your enemies further away.

[madamesilverspurs]

4. Sadly, no surprise.

[Cali_Democrat]

5. Then the solution is to change the rules again

Last edited Thu Feb 6, 2014, 08:30 PM - Edit history (1)

Eliminate the filibuster ALTOGETHER....not just for judicial nominations.

Come on, Harry.....git er done.

[Omaha Steve]

7. Doesn't that require being done at the actual beginning of a new Congressional term?

That has been my understanding of it in the past.

[Cali_Democrat]

8. I'm not sure.

I do know that Harry was able to change the filibuster rules for judicial nominations after the beginning of the new term.

[BodieTown]

23. Mere Tradition

It is a Senate rule, not a Constitutional law. Many allege it's an unconstitutional mechanism which effectively puts majority rule into minority hands.

If Reid (and the head of the Democratic party) really wanted to end this sick and twisted Senate rule, he could do it. He chooses not to.

You already know this: Our government was NEVER intended to work this way. It was ALWAYS intended to be simple majority rule.

[Autumn]

9. Excellent. That should cause the GOPIGS to lose some of their support.

They have unemployed constituents too.

[rickyhall]

10. Mitch please go home!

[world wide wally]

11. When are people going to realize that Republicans hate America and the American people?

Instead, millions of Americans will go out and vote for them in November.

Go figure.

[pangaia]

19. I don't think they hate America at all.

They hate Obama and don't know why.

[toddwv]

25. Hmmm

Sorry, but Obama is just a lightning rod for their hate, I promise you that their hate extends FAR beyond Obama.

[pangaia]

28. Well, yes, I have to agree.

But I wonder if they really know what they 'hate?'
Hate is a small word with a bug meaning. Where does it come from? ..the hate. I think feeling and emotion are 2 very different things. Feelings are something we can..generate, intentionally. Emotions are something that happen, without control. An adult learns to create feelings and to control emotions.--
I would suggest these people are emotional children. Their 'hatred' is really negative emotions directed inward because they have no control of it. That is very painful, so-- the re-direct it outward.. it goes looking for a target, a victim, if you will, and....
Just some morning thoughts....

[world wide wally]

31. That is actually a very insightful description of what happens, but for the conservation of dialog,

I just refer to it as "hate" since it takes on all the characteristics of hate.
I could say they don't believe in the basic concepts of America but what I would really mean in all likelihood is that they don't "understand" the concept, so they seek to destroy those parts of it that they don't understand. As far as I know, the only ting they REALLY love about this country is the Second Amendment and that is largely because they don't understand that either.

[LiberalArkie]

12. If the US and the world is going to have another economic crisis like or worse than the previous one

then I think maybe they do not want to be in power when it all hits the fan. They seem to be doing everything they can to be disliked by all but their rabid base.

[DCBob]

13. Im surprised by this. Even Rethugs should know this will be catastrophic for many.

Hopefully they can convince one more R and get this done.

[aggiesal]

14. Link to story . . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/07/us/politics/senate-fails-to-advance-unemployment-extension.html

[Coyotl]

15. This alone will cause the lose of another 250,000 jobs due to economic impact.

Which is just more obstruction so that they can try to make voters in the Fall election think Obama is failing.

[11 Bravo]

16. Well, since most of them are reliably Democratic voters, then in the immortal words of ...

George W. Bush ... Mission Accomplished.

[heaven05]

17. the more people driven into

poverty, starvation, foreclosure and homelessness the more anger that will be generated. Conservatives who will lose their benefits will finally see that rush limpig and faux new have been lying to them. Republithugs are eating and enjoying the good life. They do not care about anything but trying to make this POTUS look bad. They are failing miserably with anyone who has eyes to see, brain to think and ears to her and what they hear now from the republithugs is "let em eat cake". God! These hateful clowns make me sick. People are hurting out here.

[gLibDem]

20. But, but, I thought Senator Reid got rid of the ...

Who cares anymore? Until the Democrats elect Democrats to leadership positions we will continue to get Republican policies.

[Scuba]

21. They have blood on their hands and red meat for their base.

[The Wizard]

22. Being mean spirited doesn't mean you're tough

It means you're an asshole.

[SmittynMo]

24. This is the final straw for me

We all have put up with the GOP lies, ignorance, stupidity, and racism for the past decade. To omit the unfortunate unemployed their last lifeline, is the lowest I thing any human can wish upon someone. Just because the right heard a few of the unemployed say they could make more money on unemployment than get a job, and deny this money to the remaining millions of people trying very hard to find a job, is inhumane. And they don't care either, as they sit on their millions of dollars, laughing all the way to the bank with tax breaks out the ass. The jobs are gone, and may never come back. For anyone over 45 and looking for work, the task of finding employment is 100 times harder than younger people. For every job, employers are seeing 200+ applicants. And age discrimination is a real fact. I personally have witnessed it in my past 2 job interviews.

I for one have worked my whole life and have payed my dues to get ahead. I as with many others have saved for retirement. And now many of us have now lost everything we worked so hard to get. When will it all end? When the 1% gets 99% of all the money? This is a very bad time for America, especially for people that are several years from retirement. Social Security is at least better than nothing. And the GOP can't wait to get their hands on that too.

And now the GOP says fuck America again. Let's shut down the government, cut food stamps, and now unemployment benefits. I could go on and on about how they've fucked us all over the past 7 years. They have stood by their word and try to stop Obama at all costs.

I've had it with them. And yes it is true, that this will affect some of the GOP supporters. I only hope they will now vote Democrat in November. We need to get these assholes out of office.

This whole situation with the tea party and the GOP in sickening and depressing to many. It is so bad, I need to take some time away from reality(DU) for a while.

[Kablooie]

26. The unemployed conservatives will never hear about this.

This kind of thing isn't reported on Fox and that's the only place they get their news.
If they do hear about it it will be blamed on Democrats and the conservatives will believe it.

I mean these are the people that deny global warming and evolution.
Not the smartest hammers in the bag.

[adirondacker]

30. You nailed it. Barely a peep on any major news site. nt