The Senate demonstrated yet again that it exists primarily to further the interests of the large financial institutions at the expense of the people...at least the Republican senators, who today managed to defeat a bill that would have extended emergency relief to millions of jobless Americans through extended unemployment benefits. But you can forget that now. Out of work in the greatest recession of our lives? Too bad. The Republican filibuster, and their lock step voting as a block against the bill, means those unemployed will no longer receive support for Uncle Sam, much unlike the large banks, who used those same Republican Senators to fight the financial reform bill and include exceptions and extensions that could suspend key provisions of the bill until the year 2022. They want to continue the casino game as long as possible before the new rules and regulations take effect. Putting things off until 2022 will give them plenty of time to make off with their proverbial ill gotten gain before the gambling houses are shut down. In the meantime, good luck in the soup kitchen lines.
To be fair, two Republicans (Snowe and Collins) refused to vote against the unemployment bill, and one democrat (Brown of Nebraska) sided with the Republican nay vote.The recent death of Senator Byrd (D) also took away a key democratic vote. But it was clear where the Ds and Rs all line up on such issues when you look at the final vote tally. The unemployment bill was going to ask for $33 billion in Government aid for a million unemployed workers now losing benefits. This was too much for the Republicans, who thought nothing of handing Citigroup, Chase, BofA, Wells Fargo, and so many others nice fat taxpayer funded checks of between $20 and $50 billion each just a few business quarters ago. Big bucks for the banks? No Problemo. Money for the unemployed? No thanks. This is the mainstream Republican line.
Has it ever been more clear what the Republican party is all about? In every case, when it comes to a choice between the people and big business, you can be sure the conservative right will close ranks to protect big corporate coffers. The recent flap over Texas Republican Senator Joe Barton's defense of British Petroleum, claiming that the $20 billion fund for damages to Gulf coast businesses due to the spill was a "shakedown," is ample evidence of positions taken by Republicans at every step. All you have to do is watch it all on CSPAN. Any issue that threatens to restrict big business, hold them accountable, limit the excessive graft, curtail corruption and rampant profit taking at the expense of the public, will be staunchly opposed by Republicans. They can't get their way any longer by passing new business friendly laws as under Bush and Cheney, or drafting new tax cuts for the wealthy, or figuring out more ways to prevent the little guy from getting a fresh start with his debt problem, but they have enough members to filibuster and prevent Democratic measures aimed at reforming the disastrous pillaging of the public purse that has been underway since Hank Paulson threatened the Senate with the specter of martial law if the banks didn't get their multi-trillion dollar bailouts.
So when you get your final notice from the unemployment office saying that your benefits will not be extended, just pick any Republican senator and write them a nice thank you letter. And no matter how long Sean Hannity whines about those lose spending Democrats, please remember this the next time you find yourself in a voting booth. The Ds wanted to spend that money on you and your family in time of great need. The Rs said "heaven forbid--we need that cash for Citigroup!"
