Opinion
Press Releases Fly. Unemployment Soars.
In anticipation of the U.S. Senate vote tomorrow on extending unemployment insurance, the respective campaign arms of the Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans are in warring-press-release mode today.
The Democrats keep trying to authorize a $33 billion extension of the insurance, but the Republicans won't go for it because the Democrats aren't proposing an offset—that is, what's getting cut to pay for it. (It looks like the Democrats will be able to pass the funding tomorrow, though, because they've got the 60th vote to overcome a GOP filibuster now that Carte Goodwin, a Democrat, will succeed former Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia.)
Over 2 million people have been out of work for longer than six months and won't be getting checks unless the program is extended.
The Democrats' spin? A press release we got from the Washington State Democrats at 1:25 PM today blares:
And then this one at 2:00 PM from the Democratic National Committee:
And then there was this quote from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in an 11:00 AM press release:
The spin? Rossi's position—which his staff outlined for us last week—that the $33 billion shouldn't be approved until the Senate finds the money to pay for it, is hypocritical because A) Rossi (and the GOP) supported Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy which, by definition weren't paid for, wiping out the Clinton era surpluses with a $2 trillion deficit, including $700 billion in losses if the Bush tax cuts are extended and B) the GOP approved UI extensions under President Bush.
“It’s no surprise that Dino Rossi would call to extend the deficit-growing Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans but refuse to support ... emergency unemployment insurance for 18,600 Washington workers who are just trying to make ends meet while they look for a job,” said Sadie Weiner, Deputy Communications Director for the Washington State Democrats, summing up the Democrats' spin.
The Republicans have their finger on the send button too. At about 1:45, press releases from The National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Washington State Republican Party showed up in PubliCola's in box.
Their spin? The GOP wants to extend unemployment insurance too, but they want to make cuts to pay for it. Zooming in on U.S. Sen Patty Murray, they point out that she supported Democratic PAYGO legislation, which mandates that budget items must be paid for. And they have suggested cuts—an estimated $34.6 billion with a 5 percent cut on government spending, eliminating nonessential government travel, and a temporary freeze on federal employee salaries.
Their press release asks:
Seems to me like both sides are being hypocritical.
The GOP didn't care about offsets when they were cutting taxes for the rich (and, by the way, supporting $37 billion in emergency funding for the war in Afghanistan right now without offsets), but care about it now when they can sabotage a Democratic agenda item in an election year.
As for the Democrats—they were gung ho about PAYGO (Murray voted for it), but don't care about it now when they've got a popular program to pass in an election year.
Collective hypocrisy aside, what's the right vote here? With unemployment at 9.5 percent Americans probably want answers not political gotchas. Will extending benefits stave off a Great Depression style spiral or will staving off deficits? Behind the the cutesy press releases, that's the question in election 2010.
Murray and Rossi need to step away from their respective campaign machines' zingers and convince voters which course is the right one.
The Democrats keep trying to authorize a $33 billion extension of the insurance, but the Republicans won't go for it because the Democrats aren't proposing an offset—that is, what's getting cut to pay for it. (It looks like the Democrats will be able to pass the funding tomorrow, though, because they've got the 60th vote to overcome a GOP filibuster now that Carte Goodwin, a Democrat, will succeed former Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia.)
Over 2 million people have been out of work for longer than six months and won't be getting checks unless the program is extended.
The Democrats' spin? A press release we got from the Washington State Democrats at 1:25 PM today blares:
DINO ROSSI WANTS TO EXTEND DEFICIT TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY, BUT HE REFUSES TO STAND WITH WASHINGTON STATE’S UNEMPLOYED WORKERS
And then this one at 2:00 PM from the Democratic National Committee:
Dino Rossi: Would You Vote to Extend Unemployment Benefits, or Stand with Fellow Republicans Who Are Putting Politics Ahead of Unemployed Americans?
And then there was this quote from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in an 11:00 AM press release:
“With DC Republicans nearly united in their opposition to extending unemployment benefits, Rossi is proving his loyalty lies with them and not with Washington residents."
The spin? Rossi's position—which his staff outlined for us last week—that the $33 billion shouldn't be approved until the Senate finds the money to pay for it, is hypocritical because A) Rossi (and the GOP) supported Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy which, by definition weren't paid for, wiping out the Clinton era surpluses with a $2 trillion deficit, including $700 billion in losses if the Bush tax cuts are extended and B) the GOP approved UI extensions under President Bush.
“It’s no surprise that Dino Rossi would call to extend the deficit-growing Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans but refuse to support ... emergency unemployment insurance for 18,600 Washington workers who are just trying to make ends meet while they look for a job,” said Sadie Weiner, Deputy Communications Director for the Washington State Democrats, summing up the Democrats' spin.
The Republicans have their finger on the send button too. At about 1:45, press releases from The National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Washington State Republican Party showed up in PubliCola's in box.
What Happened To Fiscal Responsibility, Senator Murray?
Their spin? The GOP wants to extend unemployment insurance too, but they want to make cuts to pay for it. Zooming in on U.S. Sen Patty Murray, they point out that she supported Democratic PAYGO legislation, which mandates that budget items must be paid for. And they have suggested cuts—an estimated $34.6 billion with a 5 percent cut on government spending, eliminating nonessential government travel, and a temporary freeze on federal employee salaries.
Their press release asks:
In light of the Democrats’ attacks today, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to ask Senator Patty Murray (D-WA): Why the change in position by the Democrats? Why do they believe that we should now add yet another $34 billion to the debt, instead of making sure this funding increase is actually paid for?
Seems to me like both sides are being hypocritical.
The GOP didn't care about offsets when they were cutting taxes for the rich (and, by the way, supporting $37 billion in emergency funding for the war in Afghanistan right now without offsets), but care about it now when they can sabotage a Democratic agenda item in an election year.
As for the Democrats—they were gung ho about PAYGO (Murray voted for it), but don't care about it now when they've got a popular program to pass in an election year.
Collective hypocrisy aside, what's the right vote here? With unemployment at 9.5 percent Americans probably want answers not political gotchas. Will extending benefits stave off a Great Depression style spiral or will staving off deficits? Behind the the cutesy press releases, that's the question in election 2010.
Murray and Rossi need to step away from their respective campaign machines' zingers and convince voters which course is the right one.
