Obama to Congress: Extend unemployment insurance

[TomCADem]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Lasher (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: USA Today

With unemployment insurance set to expire on Saturday, the White House is seeking to pressure Congress into extending benefits when it returns next month.

While on vacation Friday in Hawaii, President Obama called two senators -- Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Dean Heller, R-Nevada -- who are sponsoring a bill to extend the jobless benefits.

The president promised to push Congress on what he called an "urgent economic priority," said the White House, reports the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, Gene Sperling -- the director of Obama's National Economic Council -- issued a statement saying that "never before have we abruptly cut off emergency unemployment insurance when we faced this level of long-term unemployment and it would be a blow to these families and our economy."


Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2013/12/27/obama-gene-sperling-unemployment-insurance-extension/4222983/

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The sad thing is that I think that the American public has been conditioned to blame the opposition of Republicans on President Obama. You have Bob Woodard saying ambiguously inane things like saying President Obama "should lead," which generally accepted as meaning that President Obama should pay the Republican's latest ransom demand. As a result, Republicans are given a free pass on immigration, unemployment benefits, and federal appointments on the ground that "both sides" are at fault.

We either get false equivalency or an outright blame of Republican intransience on the failure of Democrats to "show leadership" by paying the Republicans' latest ransom demand.

[freshwest]

1. TomCADem, your comment is insightful but sadly very true. Thanks for the info. n/t

[LiberalEsto]

2. I like your comments at the end of your post

"meaning that President Obama should pay the Republican's latest ransom demand. As a result, Republicans are given a free pass on immigration, unemployment benefits, and federal appointments on the ground that "both sides" are at fault."

[AKJM]

7. liberals

Why is it assumed that all liberals support amnesty.

[QuestForSense]

3. So where are the Democrats who should be backing him up?

Silent. No wonder the free pass, the false equivalency, and the outright blame.

[JDPriestly]

9. Absolutely.

[Cha]

4. It's the fucking Plutocracy wanting to take over with asshole$$$$$$

like Bob Woodward performing like good little puppets.. Quite the fucking opposite of Carl Bernstein.

That's why we've had our work cut our for us on the Net and now Social the Social Network. The 4th Estate is mostly worth shit.

Thanks Tom for doing your part!

[cstanleytech]

5. Mmm what he should really tell the republicans in congress is to actually do the job

they supposed to be really doing which is helping the nation rather than their continued efforts of trying to destroy it with their BS.

[Phlem]

6. K&R!

-p

[JDPriestly]

8. Agreed. The Republican media fights Obama at every step especially when it

comes to economic reforms. Obama needs to go straight to the people in a more energetic way. People really like Obama. He could speak with a little more strength at times. His speech about the disparity in wealth was good except that it did not present clear enough solutions. But the energy in that speech was good.

[Lasher]

10. Locking dupe.

Please continue discussion here