Bunning ends filibuster, but 205,000 people won't get a check this week

[babylonsister]

http://www.openleft.com/diary/17647/bunning-ends-filibuster-but-205000-people-wont-get-a-check-this-week

Bunning ends filibuster, but 205,000 people won't get a check this week
by: Chris Bowers
Tue Mar 02, 2010 at 19:56


Jim Bunning has ended his filibuster of unemployment and COBRA benefits extensions:

Sen. Jim Bunning's (R-Ky.) one-man filibuster ended on Tuesday.

Bunning agreed to stop blocking legislation to extend benefits and COBRA health plan subsidies to the unemployed after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) agreed to allow him a vote on an amendment to pay for the $10 billion bill.

It's the same deal Bunning was offered last week, but Bunning at the time decided to continue his fight. He'd been holding up an extension of the benefits since Thursday.

However, Bunning still did real damage. 205,000 people will not get an unemployment check this week:

Andrew Stettner of NELP says that, no matter what, some 205,000 people won't get a check this week, since it takes anywhere from two to six weeks for the states to get their bureaucracies geared up. "We've already crossed the Rubicon. Now, we have to play catch-up," he says.

With that 2-6 week delay, this could be extended pain for hundreds of thousands of Americans.

I'd really like to hear all the principled defenses of the filibuster now. Better yet, I dare someone to defend the filibuster to one of those hundreds of thousands of Americans.

This won't be the last time that a Republican like Bunning, assisted by a handful of true wingnut Senators, does something like this. It is time to end the filibuster.

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Bunning needs to go to the Senate Ethics Committee and have them recommend explusion on aiding and

abetting the terrorist - HIMSELF.

Fuck him.

Kick him out, get his sorry ass replaced by a true Dem.

Brashear is still a Dem, isn't he?

Hawkeye-X

[Ohio Joe]

2. Speaking as one of the 205,000 people going without

Fuck you Bunning. Douchebag.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[babylonsister]

5. Tell that to Bunning...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x204555

Jim Bunning voted NO on Pay-As-You-Go

[NanceGreggs]

9. There is no "gift" involved ...

Unemployment benefits are just that - a "benefit", bought and paid for, by the people who paid into the pot for years, and have a RIGHT to take from that pot when needed.

By the way, for the record - where the fuck was Bunning's big mouth when W was running up the nation's debt by giving tax-cuts to the wealthy, while waging an unnecessary, unjustifiable - and ridiculously expensive war in Iraq?

Had Bunning been carping about pay-as-you-go when his own Party's president was plundering the nation's treasury, I'd actually respect him for consistency in speaking up now. But such is not the case - as such is never the case when it comes to hypocritical Repubs who believe there's one set of rules for (R)s and a completely different set of rules for (D)s.

Unemployment benefits are not an "entitlement"; they are merely what is due and owing to hard-working Americans - many of whom are now out of work not by choice, but by circumstances created by the fiscal irresponsibility of Republican mis-administrations.

As for "taking the money from something that's not needed to pay for it", I couldn't agree more.

Let's start with Bunning's salary - obviously money poorly spent. There's no return-on-investment here - unless you count being entertained by the antics of a clueless idiot as a worthwhile expenditure.

Besides, we've already got Sarah Palin covering that. No need to pay double for the same If-I-Only-Had-A-Brain rhetoric.

[Possumpoint]

13. Yes They Are A Benefit

Bought and paid for by the employers. When the money runs out, extensions thereof are a gift from taxpayer funds!

[Hannah Bell]

14. no, we can only "take money from something else" to kill people in wars. and save bankers.

[rasputin1952]

15. I don't know where you are coming from...

if taxpayer money goes anywhere, it should be for the benefit of those who paid those taxes, often for several decades and suddenly find themselves on the out because of no fault of their own. There is no "gift" involved, there are requirements that go with collecting UI. When the job market is as poor as it is currently, your answer is to cut any hope that many have, and toss them in the street, hungry, possibly sick, adding to their misery, and ensuring that a job prospect is even further off because now there is no phone, no address, no place to wash clothes to be presentable for a possible interview?

Perhaps you are independently wealthy, if so good for you, if not, you may well the next person to join the line to collect UI, please think about that for just a moment.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

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[FreakinDJ]

4. Hope Americans realize the effects of RATpubliCON Obstructionism

I realize these are unemployment benefits which makes it that much more painful.

The Wall St. Reforms bill which is being held up in committee is crucial to get these Americans Back to Work. - Of course the RATpubliCONs are obstructing the legislation, weakening it at every possible twist and turn of Washington's political process.

Pissed because your out of work?
Upset because Banks won't re-Fi your home

Barny Frank's Bill will go a Long Way to make changes that will give immediate help

[corpseratemedia]

6. i wonder if bunning calculated how many people will now be missing a mortgage or

rent payment..and the trickle up effect that will have

no, he's just thinking about retiring and worrying about his 40 grandchildren (just heard that)..they won't have to worry about eviction, because the Eugenics Party can't see beyond their own personal concerns

[Better Today]

7. If Bunning was holding it up only since Thursday, how is he solely

responsible for the 2-6 week delay. Sounds like the Senate as a whole waited too long to address the issue.

[babylonsister]

12. It wasn't just him. Every time this came to the floor, some rethug

would block it for one reason or another. It only became crucial when the deadline neared. I'm sure you can google who the culprits were.

[Lyric]

8. We need to be running TONS of ads

to let the American people know exactly WHICH party is responsible for their hardships this week. Know what I mean?

[proud patriot]

10. How does one sleep at night after doing something like that ?

x(

[rasputin1952]

16. Most vampires don't sleep at night...

and Bunning does his sleeping in the Senate...who ever heard of this guy before he decided to wake up and do pull this stunt?...;)

[Kablooie]

11. What he's really trying to do in increase the sales of Kentucky bourbon.

More people will need some after he's done with them.

[deacon]

17. And the elitist GOP says...we've made our point? Um, you played on people that depend on those

checks, that fuel the economy, to maintain cash flow to....oh oh oh oh oh oh wait, you want America to fail. Nevermind.

[A wise Man]

19. After all these despicable

repug clowns have done to this country...they have the STINKING BILE to want to be reelected in this country again. "AMAZING"