More Proof Republicans Don't Care

Dear Friends,

I try not to use this blog to rant about Republicans because I think it is important to focus on things that you may be able to influence.  I have a better chance of influencing Democrats or Independents than I do Republicans.  But the hypocrisy of the Republican politicians is more than I can take today.  Here are a few of the reasons.

As I mentioned in my prior post, Senator Bunning (Republican, Kentucky) is preventing the Senate from passing a bill which everybody acknowledges will pass that among other things extends unemployment benefits.  Here is a recent AP article by Stephen Ohlemacher.  The following are some excerpts:

Bunning, who is not seeking re-election, has single-handedly held up a bill since Thursday that would extend the programs for 30 days...

The bill would extend unemployment payments to laid-off workers and provide them with subsidies to help pay health premiums through the COBRA program. It would extend funding for highway projects and spare doctors from a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments. It would extend a small business loan program, the National Flood Insurance Program and the copyright license used by satellite television providers...

Jobless benefits suddenly ended for some laid-off workers, Medicare payments to doctors were delayed and 2,000 federal transportation workers were sent home Monday in a spending dispute tinged with election-year politics...

But in the meantime, 41 highway projects were to be shut down because federal inspectors were off the job, and the Obama administration ordered Medicare billing contractors not to pay any claims from doctors for the first 10 business days of March. Most laid-off workers receiving unemployment benefits won't be affected — unless the impasse drags on — but those seeking payment extensions won't be able to obtain them...

Senators said more than 1 million rural television viewers would not be able to watch local stations on their satellite systems without an extension.

Obviously, Senator Bunning does not care who gets hurt by his antics.  But what about the other Republican Senators.  The following is from the Huffington Post today (here):

Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the Republican whip, argued that unemployment benefits dissuade people from job-hunting "because people are being paid even though they're not working."
Unemployment insurance "doesn't create new jobs. In fact, if anything, continuing to pay people unemployment compensation is a disincentive for them to seek new work," Kyl said during debate over whether unemployment insurance and other benefits that expired amid GOP objections Sunday should be extended.
"I'm sure most of them would like work and probably have tried to seek it, but you can't argue that it's a job enhancer. If anything, as I said, it's a disincentive. And the same thing with the COBRA extension and the other extensions here," said Kyl.

Of course Senator Kyl is wrong that unemployment benefits are not job creators.  The money paid to the unemployed is in most cases immediately spent and helps the economy and creates jobs.  But that aside, it is clear that the official Republican position is that they don't care about those among us that are the least fortunate.

And in my home state of Minnesota, Republican Presidential Candidate for 2012 and our sometime Governor vetoed a bill to reinstate funding for the General Assistance Medical Care.  The bill originally passed with some Republican support but no Republicans were willing to vote to override Governor Pawlenty's veto.  Here are some excerpts from a recent article by Pat Kessler on WCCO.com:

To help erase part of a multibillion-dollar deficit last year, Pawlenty ended funding for GAMC, which covers single adults who earn less than $8,000 a year and who are generally ineligible for Medicaid. Many on the program are homeless, mentally ill or drug-addicted. Some are veterans struggling with life after war...

Starting Monday, hospitals around the state started getting letters directing them to transfer patients off medical assistance. Hospital executives say it's going to cost taxpayers millions of more dollars because they will still be forced to treat poor people but won't be reimbursed for it...

The Minnesota House failed to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of a health care bill for the poor on Monday. The vote to override fell along party lines, with the majority Democrats falling four votes short of the 90 they needed.

Many religious groups have called this a moral issue and are calling out Governor Pawlenty who is a right wing Christian.  The article continues:

One Lutheran pastor criticized the Republican governor for quoting God in his campaign speeches but vetoing funds for the poor.

"Don't pass this off on God," said Rev. Grant Stevenson, pastor of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in St. Paul. "That's no God we've ever heard of. And please stop lecturing us about God! It's offensive! You need to stop!"

So once again, the true Republican values are showing through but perhaps the best example is contained in the article:

One angry Republican accused Democrats of "trotting out the Bible" for convenience.
"Render under Caesar what is Caesar's and God, what is God's," said Rep. Tony Cornich, R-Good Thunder. "Well, excuse my language but we've been giving too damn much money to Caesar."

The time has come for us speak out and make it clear to the public what the Republicans really stand for.

Thanks for reading and please comment,

The Unabashed Liberal