Evans Politics, November 9, 2009
Unemployment Bill Held Up
By GOP Foot Dragging (Video)
See Delay in unemployment benefits vote tied to GOP’s fight against ACORN, The Michigan Messenger, November 6, 2009, by David Weigel, quoted verbatim.
“WASHINGTON — This rundown of why a vote on unemployment insurance benefits was delayed by five weeks seems like a nadir in the War on ACORN. According to Ryan Grim at The Huffington Post, the GOP objected to an early vote because they ‘were trying to introduce unrelated amendments attacking ACORN and the financial-industry bailout, among other things.’
“There are two echoes here of the just-concluded elections. The first: Republicans out-and-out claimed that ACORN was on the ground in New York’s 23rd Congressional District, and though the group’s credibility has been seriously challenged in recent months, they deny having had any boots on the ground up there.
“The second: Many Democrats believe that failed Virginia gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds blundered in not making an issue out of Republican-led delays in unemployment benefit money, and Governor-elect Bob McDonnell’s role in this. Here are two examples of Democrats really ceding the narrative to aggressive and strategic conservatives.”
According to Maddow, because of the delay in the unemployment bill’s passage, 200,000 people have had their benefits run out.
Rachel Maddow – Nov. 8, 2009 – 4:24
