CBS Reports Obama’s Unemployment Benefits Flip-Flop
**Written by Doug Powers
President Obama and the Democrats have been calling out Republicans who opposed extending unemployment benefits without a way to account for the expenditure and piling on more debt. “May God have mercy on your souls,” said resident lunatic Rep. Alan Grayson in a fit of non-secularism to Republicans opposing the unfunded extension.
But, in fact, Republicans are simply doing what Obama himself told everyone last year was “fiscally responsible.”
This fact didn’t escape CBS News’ Mark Knoller:
In signing the bill restoring unemployment benefits to 2 million Americans jobless for more than 26 weeks, President Obama is also adding $34 billion to the deficit and the National Debt.
That’s the reason nearly all Republicans voted against the measure. They wanted the cost of the benefits paid for with unspent government funds or by other budget cuts.
The White House dismissed GOP concerns as partisan game-playing.
[...]
But Republicans were quick to remind Mr. Obama what he said after signing a previous extension of unemployment benefits on November 6th of last year.“Now, it’s important to note that the bill I signed will not add to our deficit. It is fully paid for, and so it is fiscally responsible,” he said.
So eight months ago, he said paying for the benefits was the right thing to do, but now he sees no need to do so.
Asked about the contradiction, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said he needed to examine what Mr. Obama said last November and would get back to this reporter. He didn’t.
In November of 2009 when Obama signed that unemployment benefits extension, the Wall Street Journal quoted a couple of professors:
The probability that a laid-off worker will find a job grows smaller the longer people have been out of work, according to studies in the 1980s by economists Lawrence Katz of Harvard University and Bruce Meyer of the University of Chicago.
The above is often used as justification for extending unemployment benefits, but conversely, I don’t think the probability that a laid-off worker will find a job increases if he or she is mailed a check for years on end, either. Intentionally turning 15-20% of the would-be working population into permanent welfare cases is neither prudent on a national level nor dignified on a personal level, and it certainly shouldn’t be something promoted by people who claim to want everybody to be proud, self-respecting human beings.
As Knoller reported, the latest benefits extension will need to be re-extended by around Thanksgiving. Rest assured Democrats are already preparing any number of “Grinch Who Stole Christmas” references for Republicans who oppose that new extension.
**Written by Doug Powers
Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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Funny that they are holding extending tax cuts hostage to pay-go.
They don’t care about America, they care about politics and it is sad.
At least they didn’t include the ridiculously expensive and mostly unnecessary (and new) unemployment provision of paying 65% of your COBRA premiums.
It’s a good program, but should be available based on health status and not whether you are on unemployment.
But again, I’m getting into the lame boring details which make it susceptible to lies and manipulation by the government because it’s so boring and people don’t understand. Yet these are the details that demand our leadership understand (they don’t) if they are going to spend tax dollars.
A small victory, but a victory for fiscal restraint nonetheless.
Little LindyLou Who in Whoville is gonna be pissed if she don’t get her unemployment check!
I’m guessing JournoList is now blocking his IP address.
Mark Knoller might get thrown through a plate glass window by the digital tough guys on journolist for that.
Tough guys on JournoList? Some of them were so angry, they almost couldn’t finish their salads.
They’ll blame Bush and FOX for this. Knoller is obviously a hold-over plant by Bush who’s on FOX’s payroll.
Obama didn’t lie…he just changed his mind as all great leaders do.
Obama started out with lies and has continued since. Why would anyone be surprised when he speaks his natural language?
– signed, The Obominator
Do any of the DemonRats remember the Fanfare about” PAYGO”. Oh wait, this is an emergency and every freaking thing from Hemorrhoids to Hangnails is an emergency. See how easy that was, pass something that is meaningless, tout it as something fantastic and then circumvent it at every chance they get. WTF has happened to our country?
note the “this reporter” line. To me, that is a journolist (sic) who is not happy being ignored and brushed aside.
Maybe a few of them will grow a pair now that it is obvious that Obama will use and abuse them for his own purposes.
Angry Lapdogs.
Here’s were even Knoller–and, of course, the rest of the media–is either too lazy or covering for Obama. He doesn’t lift a figure to go find the current figure for unspent money from the February 2009 stimulus package. Sure, I realize that Obama doesn’t want to touch that rainy-day slush that he plans to release to his favorite constituents leading up to the 2012 election. I guess we should give Obama credit for essentially socking away campaign contributions through the legislative process at a time when he could, given that he’d never be able to set aside that kind of cash after two years into his first term.
All the same, it’s damned shame we don’t have a media that could make that point, draw a huge red circle around it, and then keep hammering him with it.
Where are the jobs Obama?
Where are the jobs Democrats?
On behalf of my 3 year old daughter, Heather, and my 7 year old son, Hunter, who will be stuck paying this bill:
!!A HUNDRED CURSES ON ALL DEMOCRATS!!
Holy cow, he’s getting desparate when he uses the Almighty to support his arguments. Does he think he’s exempt from the Judgement because he’s a Dumbocrat?
I hope his contract at CBS is secure. We don’t want to be telling the public that the emperor is buck naked.
Obama is George Kostanza?
Asked about the contradiction, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said
he needed to examinethe entire administration has tried to forget what Mr. Obama said last November and wouldget back to this reporterignore anyone from the press who pushed for an answer to this.And exactly how many of those unemployed have Bho to thank for their unemployment? Maybe those same individuals would have preferred not to lose their jobs in the first place.
how about requiring people to actually stand in line instead of just facebooking heir request in online for gov. funds?
and how about getting serious about requiring that recipients list three jobs they’ve applied to (or whatever #) that week.
because they don’t list jobs they’ve applied to then they are falsifying their request
…and maybe we should send some of these the bums to jail or heavy fines for falsifying…
why?
because that is MY MONEY they are stealing to finance their
“funemployment.”
I know, not everyone, but I would say it’s a goodly percentage that are merely slackers…
PEOPLE!!…ESPECIALLY YOU SPOILED RIGHT-OUT-OF-COLLEGE-EXPECTING-TO-WALK-INTO-A-100K-PER-YEAR-GIG LOSERS !IT HAS NEVER BEEN EASY TO FIND A JOB!
Max out
As a league bowler, I also follow the Pro Bowlers Tour. The feel-good story of last season was a fellow named Tom Smallwood. He was a GM autoworker who was laid off and couldn’t find work, so his wife permitted him to fine-tune his bowling skills. He went on to qualify for the PBA Tour and even won a tournament! This is an example of how someone can find another way to make a living IF THEY HAVE TO.
Obama contradicted himself? If you cannot find a new one each day, you are not looking very hard.
I was out of work once for almost three months. I hated it and I was embarrassed to ask for unemployment although I finally did. I spent 8 hours every business day looking, calling, researching, writing leters, completing applications, etc., just like I had a “real job”. I was prepared to take any job I could get, rather than abuse unemployment insurance. By the grace of God, I returned to a full time work position. I’m convinced many people who are relying on unemployment checks are no longer even trying.
In this instance CBS did a better job than Fox’s middle of the night reportage has been. The late night news readers keep saying that the bill passed despite Republican opposition (setting us up as Grinches), but never mention that we just wanted the benefits to be paid for.
FirstSkirt said:
I’m convinced many people who are relying on unemployment checks are no longer even trying.
yeah well, they are supposed to be trying, and they are supposed to write down where they applied as well.
Gov’t entitlement programs are RIFE with fraud. as are medical claims and many, many insurance and disability claims…
if any politician had the Malkins to address this and came armed with hard facts, we could solve the fiscal crisis overnight, and stop giving MY MONEY to a bunch or fraudulent criminal losers!
He is if he’s buck naked or ensconsed in velvet.
Speak for yourself. A lot of these people won’t even look for a job until their benefits run out, so the longer the benefits are extended, the longer they’ll be out of work. It’s no different than the welfare system before reform passed in the 90′s.
Congratulations to the author and the commenters lucky enough to have never suffered a bout of extended unemployment. I personally don’t know anyone on unemployment who wouldn’t rather be working for pay. Unemployment benefits are subsistence level payments – they aren’t subsidizing vacations. Heaven help you if you are laid off at 55. Even the greeter jobs at retail stores aren’t easy to find.
As a laid off executive with 30 years experience, I have applied for jobs paying as little as 1/10th my previous pay just to be working again – no luck. So, to the sanctimonious among you – just pray you aren’t laid off in economic times like we are experiencing.
As I look at Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution, I just don’t see where it is stated that Un Employment Benefits are a Federal issue. It seems to me this should be a 10th amendment issue, therefore it should be left up to each state to decide.
There, that was easy.
Last Sunday the local rag did a piece on an unemployed construction worker in New Jersey who had run out of benefits and was waiting for congress to do another 26 weeks. He had collected $565 per week for 99 weeks, almost $56,000. Another 26 weeks brings that total to over $70,000. Where will the line be drawn? Projections are that the unemployment rate will be north of 9% through the end of the year. So right before the election do they do another 26 weeks? How long is long enough? We are on the road to making unemployment benefits the new welfare.
I will wager here and now that should any/all of the unemployment benefits under consideration lapse, Obama will use the new figures as ‘evidence’ that his economic strategy is working.