Demos, GOP Argue Merits Of Basic Economic Conflict

GOP filibusters to doom national economy, says Prez, Senator

Partisan leadership offers one of two choices for voters:

Either believe that economic pump priming such as
unemployment extension, federal spending for job creation,
and tax cuts for businesses who participate will ease
economic difficulties, or stop the bleeding by clamping off fed-
eral spending in any form to cut the deficit for smooth political
sailing in November.

The line in the sand drawn by the nation's top political
bosses could not be more cut and dried, stark or clearly
delineated.

Passage of an unemployment benefit extension - a $34 billion
item that will be added to the projected budget deficit of
$1.56 trillion - is virtually assured following the
appointment of Democratic Senator Carte Goodwin of West
Virginia.

GOP Senators have filibustered and obstructed the extension
"because Democrats simply refuse to pass a bill that doesn't
add to the debt," according to Senate Republican Leader
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Economists estimate extending unemployment benefits would
add about 2% to the budget deficit. Democrats say it's the
best, most economical way to jump start the economy because
the benefits will be spent immediately on items such as rent
and food.

GOP Senators wanted to take the money from the unspent
economic stimulus funds Congress provided a few short months
ago and not increase the budget deficit in the process.

Democrats refused to budge. The money is for creating jobs,
they argued.

In his regular Saturday radio program, President Obama said,
"Too often the Republican leadership in the United States
Senate chooses to filibuster our recovery and obstruct our
progress." He pointed out that during the past two weeks,
more than two million unemployed Americans' unemployment
benefits expired, leaving them high and dry and with no
income whatsoever.

Democratic Senators are betting that voters will choose
their brand of recovery.

Said Senator John Kerry in a first class mailing to area
voters, "In April, when President Obama and Senate Democrats
took on the Wall Street banks, Repubicans wouldn't even let
us debate. They sided with bankers, blocking our efforts as
many times as they could.

"They aren't just opposed to these policies. They're
opposed to President Obama."

He pointed out a laundry list of grievances Democrats have
with Republican Senators - their opposition to health care
reform, regulation of big banks, economic stimulus, to name
a few.

"In all my years, I don't think I've ever seen so many
senators vote against bills they once backed. Some
Republicans even voted against bills they wrote or co-
sponsored."

Some Senators who had once supported creation of a
bipartisan commission on the deficit reversed their previous
stand and joined the opposition as soon as President Obama
signed on to support the measure, he added.

Democrats point out that when President George W. Bush took
office, he inherited a $236 billion budget surplus from the
Clinton Administration and left President Obama a trillion-
dollar-plus deficit.

Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) did not mention unemployment
extension in his rebuttal address Saturday. He complained
that the appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick to head the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid during a Congressional
recess was an underhanded political trick.

"Without a public confirmation hearing on Dr. Berwick's
nomination, the Seante and the American people do not have
the opportunity to learn about the man who will control one-
third of all health-care spending in America," he said.

"This flies in the face of what was supposed to be the most
transparent administration in our nation's history."

Debate on the unemployment benefits extension bill will
begin anew on Tuesday.