This post originally appeared at Campaign for America’s Future (CAF) at their Blog for OurFuture. I am a Fellow with CAF.
It is hard to imagine out here in the real world, but there seem to be people in the Congress who think they can get (or deserve to be) re-elected when they are failing to do anything about jobs or extending unemployment and COBRA with unemployment at 10%, underemployment at 17%,and forecasts that say this will go one for years.
The public certainly is well aware of the disconnect:
This billboard was put up by a local Buffalo group representing young people, and I recommend clicking through to see their site. Especially if you are a member of Congress.
Failing is the wrong word this time. Maybe “disgusting” better fits the lack of seriousness of our representatives. Childish and spineless are the words that come to mind. Anti-porn provision sinks Dem jobs bill,
House Democrats had to scrap their only substantive bill of the week Thursday after Republicans won a procedural vote that substantively altered the legislation with an anti-porn clause.
Quick backstory: Bush’s SEC, the people who were supposed to be regulating Bernie Madoff and Wall Street banksters were instead spending days surfing for porn on their computers. Republicans — the people who put the porn-surfers into the SEC — offered an “anti-porn” amendment to the jobs bill.
That provision scared dozens of Democrats into voting with Republicans to approve the motion to recommit. After it became clear the GOP motion was going to pass, dozens of additional Democrats changed their votes from “no” to “yes.” In the end, 121 Democrats voted with Republicans — only four fewer than the number of Democrats who voted with their party.
Because of idiocy like this,and a few other killing provisions they had to set aside the bill. The unemployed sit and wait for news. Playing games and posturing when we have a serious set of problems to solve, and real people out here in the real world are facing the worst crisis since the Great Depression. You can try to blame this on the obvious conservative obstruction strategy to stop the government from working, but spineless Democrats were stampeded into going along with it! Who’s “not serious” now? If there are disruptive kids in the back of the class snickering and giggling, you aren’t supposed to join them.
A new WSJ/NBC poll came out yesterday. 72% disapproval of Congress. (I wonder why?) Highest priority: Job creation and economic growth 35%, Deficit and government spending 20%. (Guess which one the out-of-touch DC elite are concentrating on.)
Listen, Congress, in DC you are employed, or you wouldn’t be there. And the people you know are probably all employed. The lobbyists swarming you are employed. The people in the nice restaurants you enjoy are employed. But out here where I live the “official” unemployment rate is 13%. People we all KNOW are out of work and getting desperate. People in our families are out of work and getting desperate. 10% is NOT OK!
Trillions given to Wall Street, used to pay bonuses, FAIL on jobs. Do they think the public doesn’t see that? What is the matter with these people?
Lesson: It’s the jobs, stupid. JOBS FOR MAIN STREET!
Sign up here for the CAF daily summary.
Update I got fooled by that billboard. The group behind it is just another right-wing front group. Sorry.