Senate Republicans block extension of unemployment benefits… again

Senate Republicans– including Arizona’s John McCain and Jon Kyl– have repeatedly blocked extension of unemployment benefits in recent weeks.

Since benefits started to expire in May, more than 1 million Americans have lost their unemployment benefits.

Ironically, the same people, who spent like drunken sailors and cut taxes for the rich (thus reducing the country’s revenue) during the Bush years, now use the we-must-live-within-our-means excuse when asked to support measures that will help working class Americans.

“The debate has little to do with economic reality and everything to do with political posturing,” according to the NY Times.

At the same time they were ignoring millions of jobless Americans, Republicans worked to preserve loopholes in the banking reform legislation that would benefit wealthy money mangers and stopped moves which would halt tax avoidance by some small businesses– thus ignoring 2 strategies that would nip away at the deficit.

The Republicans don’t care about reducing the deficit; they’re just using it as an excuse to say, “no” to Main Street Americans, while continuing to say “yes” to Wall Street.

The Congress has now left DC for an Independence Day break. Too bad McCain doesn’t have any campaign events planned for this weekend. It would have been a great opportunity for jobless Arizonans to ask him about his vote.