1 percent should not rule 99 percent

I think most of us agree that government is broken. At some point, probably a couple decades ago, politicians began caring more about themselves than us. And we, the voters, allowed it because life was generally OK for most of us for many years, particularly following the end of the Vietnam War and military draft. The civil rights protests went away. More and more kids were going to college. Retirees were enjoying their pensions.

But now a massive vortex has formed as the country has reached a point of division and dysfunction that we might not ever recover from. We're spinning out of control. There are no more pensions. Even Social Security is at risk.

We're at a juncture where individuals most hurt by the shenanigans of Constitution Avenue and Wall Street have exhausted all options to remain afloat, let alone thrive. Unless we unify, mobilize and get into the faces of bankers, senators and others who make up the approximately one percent of those getting rich on our pain, the lives of 99 percent of Americans will continue to spiral downward -- some slowly, some quickly depending on where you're at in the social-economic order.

While the one percent holds the power and privilege in this county, the 99 percent possess the numbers. However, if the majority continues to sit back and do nothing, or dilute and divide itself into mindless red and blue camps, then the one percent will continue to flourish at our expense.

We don't need a Tea Party, we need an informed Unity Party. We need for people to rally around groups like Occupy Together in order to send a message to those who have abused their powers that we aren't going to take it anymore. Regardless of political leanings, we as Americans should have one cause in common, and that is to stop being abused by those in power. We want our jobs back. We want a more level playing field. We don't want to make anymore sacrifices so that corporate titans can profit while we struggle to put food on the table. That isn't a political philosophy -- it's common decency. And everyone except the 1 percent should be for that.

It is the 99 percent that gives the 1 percent their power. We can also take it away if we stop allowing ourselves to be manipulated by various powerful factions that intentionally try to divide us.

Three years of unemployment and underemployment are taking an irreversible toll on the country as a whole. Roads are crumbling, families are splintering, stores are closing, tax rolls are dwindling. Eventually, the bridges that carry the trucks that bring products to market will collapse. And what will CEOs do then? Layoff more people? Is that how we're going to continue to handle this crisis, by firing capable workers? Is that really the best Corporate America and government can do to address a complex problem that they helped create?

Layoffs just make things worse for society, which in turn eats away at the economy and our national security. Yes, corporate profits have risen, but for how long and through what means? Eventually the recession will catch up to these job killers, who may then realize that gutting the workforce and sitting on their wealth might not have been such a good strategy. In fact, that tactic has fueled a dark super cell -- a storm on the horizon that is so ominous that it may threaten our way of life, our freedom.

There seems to be only one way out of this. We and our elected officials need to start working together. I mean really work together, not just give lip service about it. We need to put aside our philosophical differences, reject the lobbyists/special interests groups and hit the voting booths harder than ever in order to get rid of any politician who seems unwilling to compromise or unable to think outside of the box.

We need to work for and do business with responsible employers who protect and create jobs here in America. When a lawmaker trumpets a claim, they need to back it out with facts not partisan theory and manipulation. We need to verify that tax cuts for the wealthy help create jobs. If that claim can't be supported with hard data, then politicians need to let go of it and move on. And we, the voters, need to punish any politician who clings to any false statements or perpetuates economic myths. Those falsities are a distraction. They are delaying our finding real solutions for the 99 percent of us who don't have a pile of gold stashed away or more time to waste.

The cost of not working together is our destruction. Plain and simple. If you want to cling to your bumper sticker, red and blue mentality, do so at your own peril. But if you want to force our leaders to do something for us rather than against us, you have to abandon your preconceived notions about our two political parties. You must educate yourselves and realize that most politicians do not have our best interests at heart. You must join protesters marching in New York and form your own protests at your State Houses and corporate headquarters of the most offensive companies. You must write and call your representatives. Elect governors who can govern for the people and not just take money from special interest groups. Reject anyone and everyone who doesn't stand up for workers' rights, whether those workers are unionized or not.

At this stage, the 99 percent being passive or uninformed will only make the 1 percent stronger. The 1 percent doesn't need either political party helping them. You must be willing to reinvent yourself, your views on politics and government, and not fall for the same tricks that have done nothing but weaken the 99 percent for a generation or two while right-wingers and centrists have ineffectively ruled the country. If that means swallowing a little pride and admitting your party is overrun by folks who say they are for the middle class but aren't, then open your eyes and vote them out. But at the same time, be cautious with who you're voting in. Make sure they are qualified, honest, sincere and intelligent. Examine their records and make sure they understand history. Don't elect anyone based on your emotions or their empty promises.

Look around your neighborhoods, your offices and see who is doing well and who isn't. Dig beneath the surface and don't just assume that someone who lost their job or house must have done something wrong. If you do that, you're sealing your own faith. Your pink slip will come.

Statistics show that if you're a white male over 50 years old, and get laid off, there is an increasing chance that you will never work again regardless of your credentials. Age discrimination is running rampant, which is another thing the system is supposed to prevent but doesn't because we don't do a damn thing to make sure employers aren't operating outside of the law. Apathy is killing us.

I am outraged whenever I hear politicians talking about raising the retirement age. Who exactly is going to hire or keep a 70-year-old employee these days? It sounds fine to say we're living longer than ever and need to save money on Social Security by delaying benefits, but does anyone ever think about enforcing age discrimination laws so that we can work into our senior years? Simply raising the retirement age without putting some teeth into discrimination laws is a recipe for disaster in a job market that openly excludes experienced workers. I've read a lot of job ads in the last three years, and it always astonishes me how employers aren't shy about their not wanting to give anyone over 50 a chance to even apply, let alone interview. It's a tragedy for mid-career professionals and for less experienced workers who could learn from the seasoned pros. In addition, current job seekers do not need a whole new wave of people to compete with.

Recently, I've heard some Republicans want to make job training mandatory for anyone who receives unemployment benefits. Sounds good on the surface, but surface solutions are often flawed. The real agenda of these Republicans has more to do with throwing the vulnerable overboard than it does guiding them back into employment.

Unemployment benefits are just that -- benefits earned by once-employed people. You don't qualify for them if you didn't work. So the premise that unemployment is some sort of handout is completely wrong in most instances, particularly during this recession. In addition to that, many people who get laid off have years of experience and a wide range of skills. A few months of additional training aren't going to make them anymore employable. It's another illusion promoted by intellectually challenged morons who want to place the blame on the victims of this horrible economy rather than on the culprits. Heck, in many cases it was their vast experience (and larger paychecks) that got good people canned in the first place -- usually older workers.

I resent any statement that implies that all unemployed or underemployed people must have a shortage of skills. In fact, in certain cases, unemployed people from certain professions probably have more skills, education and ethics than those who remain employed. Companies throughout this recession have been letting go of the wrong people for the wrong reasons.

While adding tools to one's toolbox isn't a bad idea in a struggling job market, it should not be mandated as a condition to receive what laid-off workers are rightfully owed. In a day and age where companies don't even have the decency to provide severance, unemployment benefits must be paid as long as those receiving the benefits can prove they are searching for work. Unemployment benefits not only help individuals, but they have been proven to boost the economy.

Why have we all -- outside of those current protesters in New York and previously Wisconsin -- become so apathetic about blatant injustice? Social, economic and institutional injustice is reaching epidemic levels. Have we somehow collectively accepted that we can't fight city hall anymore? Are we willing to voluntarily march off a cliff, clinging to our stale political beliefs right until the end, while the one percent gathers more riches and power? We should be outraged by the one percent who are picking our bones clean, practically robbing our gold fillings from our graves. Where are these people acquiring their nerve and authority to make up the rules as they go?

If you're fresh out of college, and unable to find a job, it's going to be impossible to pay back your school loans, let alone begin your quest for the "American Dream." We have always sold that dream in order to create peace and tranquility among the masses and to drive the economy. It's worked for a long time because people were able to climb the social ladder, buy a car, put food on the table and pay into the system through taxation. That just isn't the case anymore. There is no ladder to climb anymore. Young adults are getting out of college and moving in with their parents nowadays. If you don't work, you can't pay taxes, which in turn causes more economic and societal woes for everyone.

Some are seeing a connection between our disillusioned young, educated people and the youths in Egypt who recently became so disenchanted with a government that wasn't working for them that they took to the streets in full revolutionary mode.

Can that happen here?

I don't see why not. Maybe it has already started.

Chronic institutional unfairness alters social norms regardless of nationality. You want to see class warfare, wait another few years. You won't be able to go the ATM without getting mugged by someone who once paid taxes and lived a three-room rambler with a white picket fence, but is now starving on the streets because politicians couldn't put aside their differences in order to address a national crisis. Wait a few more years and things could be considerably worse. At that point, who do we blame? The politicians or the people who elected them without doing their homework?

Close-minded voters who rely only on talk radio to help them decide on a which candidate to cast a ballot for are worse than people who don't vote at all. Recent Republican primaries are driven by some of the most ill-informed people on the planet and are taking away our options in general elections. I'd like to get back to having two viable candidates to choose from in a general election. I'd like to return to the days when Corporate American didn't control our politicians and where crazies didn't make it beyond their local homeowner association boards in the political world.

We have reached the point where if we don't compromise and find lasting solutions, we will fall and fall hard. The despair, the poverty, the lack of hope will eat at the inner core of America and reduce us to a nation of have and have-nots, with the have-nots eventually rising up to create chaos that even the rich won't be able to shelter themselves from. Perhaps this is why some wealthy folks are finally coming out and pleading to have their taxes raised. Yes, raised. They can and want to help the economy, realizing that if they don't take on a fairer share of the load, they might end up with nothing, like the 50somethings, who were once vibrant, middle-class contributors to society but who are now living in their cars all across this nation. Yet, there are some leaders in Washington who ignore the pleas of the moral rich in favor of the still-greedy rich. They won't raise taxes.

It is time to shut out the extremists and the selfish and work together. The media can play a role in this by not giving any airtime to all the usual suspects who do nothing but promote themselves. We need smart, sincere people on the front pages of our newspapers. People willing and able to make a difference, not manipulators of media who flirt with their short-sighted followers through bus tours and book signings. These people are a cancer. They are not patriots. At best, they are distractions. And we can't afford anymore distractions. Time is running out.

For some victims of the last three years, it's already too late. But there are millions more who could be saved from a very bad ending if politicians, business owners and others can simply redirect their energy to rebuilding the middle class rather than tearing it down though obstructionism and partisan inaction. Politicians can't create jobs, but they can create an environment more conducive to combating joblessness. In that regard, both Republicans and Democrats have failed us miserably.

Jobs, not "Obamacare" or debt reduction or anything else, must be the central focus of Washington. Every time I hear a smoke-and-mirrors politician utter the word "Obamacare," I know they aren't serious about job creation and I won't vote for them. If you're unemployed or want to remain employable for the next decade or two, I would recommend you do the same -- vote out anyone who seems distracted by lesser issues or who doesn't back up their jobs rhetoric with action. Real action. Not speeches, not phony bills that are dead on arrival. I want to see a look of authenticity and truthfulness on the faces of our leaders in Congress. I want to feel a sense of getting along with the opposing party. Please, no more posturing.

I would like to see entire debates dedicated to one subject -- job creation. I don't need to hear anything more about fences along borders, in-state tuition for the children of illegal aliens or English as an official language. I don't need for politicians to sneak in their pet projects or warped values in the name of job creation. I want to see members of both political parties roll up their sleeves and get back to the job of getting us to work.

Everything depends on employment. Everything, including our health, the environment and our defense. We can't protect whales or feed starving children if there is no money going to organizations that do good works. This is not the time for Democrats and Republicans to come out of White House meetings with nasty comments about the other guy or to drone on about why they don't believe in science.. This is a time for unity and a sense of urgency. We have no time left to listen to Tea Party fantasies or to cater to a do-nothing establishment. We must stand together in our demand for jobs. We must turn up the volume in a variety of ways if we want to be a democracy and create a fair and optimistic nation.

Read more about the 99 percent.

Rescue America from Wall Street.

Smirk is worth a thousand words

Today's jobs numbers are disappointing and yesterday's passing of the debt-ceiling/deficit bill will, by all accounts, make things worse. Reports of mass layoffs and businesses closing are beginning to trickle in again, as they did in 2008, and Wall Street seems unimpressed by the legislative actions in Washington this week. The news is quite dire and confidence in government is about as low as it can get.

Yet, there was Republican Speaker of the House, John Boehner, smirking on television on Tuesday, expressing how happy he was that he and the GOP got "98 percent" of what they wanted in the debt-ceiling deal. Within hours of Boehner's bragging, objective economists were lined up warning us that the pulling of billions of dollars out of the economy at this fragile point could send us into a second recession. As the GOP-owned bill was examined, it became clearer that the economy was about to take another hit.

Many experts believe that whatever improvements we saw in the economy in the last year were undone by bickering politicians in recent weeks. The debate, of course, was caused by Republicans bent on ruining a presidency that was beginning to be bolstered by improving economic numbers, not to mention the killing of the architect of the 9/11 attacks and the plans for a drawdown in two wars.

Things were looking up, but Republicans couldn't allow that modest trend to continue. They knew that the one way to beat President Obama in 2012 was for the economy to tank. The way to do that, without bringing America totally to its knees, was to prolong a debate about the debt ceiling that never should have taken more than a few minutes of anyone's time, and to pass a bill that removes just enough money and jobs from the economy to spark more voter fear but avoids a catastrophic depression. It was a brilliant ploy by a Republican Party that has completely lost its soul.

When the recession returns and job numbers continue to fall, who will voters blame? Will they look at the facts and remember how Boehner and his right-wing posse forced a positive momentum-killing bill upon us (and smirked about it on national TV), or will they just continue to believe the mindless, self-centered talking points that Republicans have taken to new lows in this current, Tea Party-driven Congress? Will voters remember how the Republicans said jobs were priority No. 1 after the 2010 election, then proceeded to talk about everything except jobs once elected?

This bill, job growth and the economy from here until the 2012 election is on the Republicans. Period.

Hyping the death of a terrorist

As I was driving home from work today, I heard a caller on a radio station say that in the course of his and most people's daily lives, the killing of Osama bin Laden isn't going to make any long-term difference. He spoke of other more pressing priorities and cautioned people and the media (including the dismissive talk show host who obviously wanted to hype the killing) not to make more of this than it deserves.

You know what? He's absolutely right.

It has been a good several days for President Obama. He proved he wasn't born in a foreign country or on another planet by releasing his long-form birth certificate. Then yesterday, he confirmed that he was indeed a patriot and a darn smart strategist by directing the military mission to kill bin Laden in a targeted manner rather than bombing the heck out of the hideaway in Pakistan. It's nice to have a president with guts and brains. Obama's not getting much credit from all the usual idiots, but I think the taking out of bin Laden pretty much sealed the deal for the 2012 election.

Well, maybe sealed is too strong of a word.

Bin Laden swimming with the fishes doesn't really do a lot for me. It's mildly satisfying at best but won't influence my vote. We have worse threats both in the international world of terrorism and in our own domestic backyard. I want my president focused on getting us out of wars and into jobs. I want a fair president who doesn't rob the poor and middle class in order to give to the rich. I want a visionary as a president -- a person with a sense of fairness, honor and respect for the planet.

Symbolic victories are just that -- symbolic. They don't lower gasoline prices. They don't get people back to work, slow down foreclosures or reduce crime. Symbolism doesn't cure cancer, stop corruption on Wall Street, educate young people or prevent oil spills. Those are far tougher problems that if solved would actually change millions of lives in positive, tangible ways for generations to come.

If Obama were to fail in his bid for a second term, it would probably be because of the sluggish economy. He can have bin Laden killed, show his birth certificate and rally young people into a frenzy in front of the White House, but if he doesn't address the economy in a meaningful manner, his re-election will not be a slam dunk. The caller on the radio, I suspect, represents how many Americans will feel once this feel-good moment from Sunday night wears off. As we enter the voting booth, we tend to focus more on what really matters in a practical sense. The demise of bin Laden won't get the potholes fixed. Nor will it stop people from trying to murder Americans.

The killing of bin Laden gives us immediate, primal satisfaction but doesn't put food on the table or teachers in the classrooms. As evil as bin Laden was, comparisons with Adolph Hitler by the media and others are absurd. Stopping Hitler changed the world. Killing bin Laden won't even prevent us from getting frisked at the airport.

We need a little perspective, folks. Seven or eight years ago this would have been a bigger story because bin Laden would have been perceived as a more viable threat. Now, as boxed in as he became, does anyone really think his death in 2011 is a game-changer in the lives of most Americans?

Fences rarely provide solutions

Before there was an Arizona law on illegal immigration, there was a Manassas and Prince William County, Va., law that I have written about in a earlier post. In my opinion, and the opinion of a federal judge in Phoenix yesterday, there are aspects to these local laws that are unconstitutional. I might add, on a humanitarian level, there are also unfair elements to these types of laws born out of desperation to solve an undeniable problem that impacts many communities across the country.

However, I've been in Manassas several times in recent weeks and there is no denying that an illegal-alien problem still exists there, maybe more so than most areas around the state. Some estimates claim that illegal immigration costs Virginia more than $1 billion a year. I imagine the state of Arizona is facing an even bigger bill. Small towns in particular, like Manassas, simply can't afford these kinds of expenses.

Something does have to be done to guard our borders. That's just commonsense. We are living in the worst economic times of our lives. Just from an economic standpoint, moderating the flow of people into this country, regardless of where they come from, seems fairly prudent. We must fight this recession on several fronts and reduce expenses where we can. War and illegal immigration are just two areas where we could save billions.

It is important to look at immigration (legal and illegal) as a economic issue and not a race or emotional debate. In better times, there were some economic benefits to having some illegal immigrants here, working for minimum wage and spending money in various communities. Those times have probably passed with the loss of jobs. Many of those immigrants are still here and are unemployed and not circulating money back into the economy.

The federal government is charged with protecting our borders, issuing work visas and should not be undermined by the states or municipalities. But the feds should also understand that we can't continue to give jobs away to whomever wants to come over here, whether they come legally or illegally, whether they work for minimum wage or hold white-collar jobs. There aren't enough jobs for everyone. We have to shut off the faucet and allow jobs to catch up with the population.

Leaders in Washington should act soon so that states that are already running huge deficits don't have to add to the red ink by providing services to folks who aren't here legally. Police need a clear set of rules to work under in addressing illegal aliens -- rules that don't endanger them or inflame the situation. Employers must also play by the rules when hiring workers. And we all need to bite the bullet and accept that our veggies and fruit might cost a bit more if we really want to solve the problem of illegal workers.

No fence along the Southwest border is going to solve all our problems. Immigration regulations in general need a major overhaul. We need laws that allow people in under a fair system while protecting the economic and security interests of America. Times change and smart legislation needs to reflect that. To do nothing is to ask for more trouble, more court battles, more bad laws and more expenses we can no longer absorb.

It's time to keep U.S. dollars at home

During his monologue last night, Tonight Show host Jay Leno joked that jobless Americans should move to Pakistan, where the U.S. just pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in financial aid.

I will be the first to admit that my global perspectives are limited at best. I wouldn't make a good replacement for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

With that said, how is it that the U.S. is giving financial aid to any country? Aren't we presently arguing over providing assistance to our own people, like those who are unemployed? Aren't schools cutting teachers right here in America because of the bad economy? What about that biggest deficit in our country's history? Is that even a consideration when funding foreign governments? American cities are crumbling. Homes are in foreclosure at record rates. Businesses are struggling. And we're sending cash overseas?

Hillary came to Pakistan yesterday with an olive branch. Attached to it was $500 million. It is not clear to me why this was necessary or how a country with massive debt can give that kind of money to other countries. But what is crystal clear is that we have no interest in altering how we do business globally. This is not some Leno joke.

It looks like we are going to continue funding foreign countries indefinitely through writing checks and providing military assistance despite our overwhelming economic woes at home. In the current economic climate, where millions of Americans are suffering and there is no end in sight, it was frustrating to see Hillary Clinton handing over cash to Pakistan just so that people there will hate us a little less.

Real faces of unemployment

Do the three people flanking President Obama in this photograph look like bums, hobos or drug addicts? Those are some of the labels attached to jobless Americans by some Republicans in recent months.

Certain politicians have no clue as to how difficult it is to find work in America in 2010. Talk about an out-of-touch political party. Whether you're 55 and looking to resume your career, or 25 and hoping to get a foot in the door with a good company, your odds are far worse than they have ever been in most of our lifetimes. It doesn't matter how many college degrees you have or how skilled you might be. There simply aren't enough jobs to go around. That is a fact.

As a result, the economy continues to stumble. Therefore, unemployment benefits must be extended for the people like the folks in this picture who have been trying to find work and who don't use unemployment benefits for illegal drugs. Instead, they use the money to feed the economy, to keep their homes, to pay their bills. That is all good for all of America -- those who are searching for jobs and those who are employed. Cutting the jobless off will only slow down the recovery, cause home values to crash even further and lead to a new class of homeless people. What's the Republican plan to deal with that?

Instead of longing for a 1950s world where everything and everyone was easily categorized, modern-day Republicans need to face some facts about the current economy and the people who are suffering the most. I believe if they continue to take out their frustrations on honest citizens looking for work, they will lose whatever momentum they had prior to their attacks on the unemployed. We all know the unemployed. They are our brothers, sisters, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers. They aren't shadowy people standing on sketchy street corners. It is bad political policy to paint them as such.

I was glad to see Obama speaking on behalf of the unemployed and calling out those who want to halt benefits to the jobless while decreasing taxes on the wealthy. His speech in the Rose Garden today helped renew my faith that he hasn't forgotten about millions of honest, hard-working Americans who were cast out of the workplace during the recession and can't find their way back into suitable jobs, or the college graduates who are losing hope by the day that they will be able to put their education to good use.

Republicans in 2010 have a tendency to not acknowledge people who aren't doing well. They bend over backwards for those still on the top but rarely form policies to assist people who don't have a pipeline to the corner offices. They put up fences along the Mexican border without regard for how that may impact wildlife that needs to migrate in order to survive. They say "drill baby drill" even as the oil in the Gulf of Mexico is ruining life in that part of the country. We have a governor in Virginia who still thinks it's a good idea to set up hundreds of rigs off the Mid-Atlantic coast. Their arrogance is now off the charts with thinking that they can save a nickel on the backs of the unemployed. This is a party in need of a makeover, a soul. They can't just keep appealing to people's lowest instincts and fears and continue to win elections that way. Americans are getting smarter as more news and opinions are available. Facts can be easily checked. We don't have to accept anything that any politician claims as true anymore.

Despite the rhetoric coming from Republicans, most Americans still believe that those folks who are having trouble finding work should not have their benefits cut off. Most Americans know that the trouble that is facing some of their friends and neighbors could easily happen to them in this shaky economy. And if it does, they wouldn't want to be without benefits that they helped pay into while working for their entire adult lives.

As I have said many times, the GOP argument against extending benefits doesn't hold water in any regard. I never stopped looking for work while I was collecting. Never lost motivation to find a job just because I was getting a small sum deposited in my checking account. Getting an unemployment check for most people is just a way to buy some time until they can land a job. A way to save their homes and feed themselves. I have no love for those who use their unemployment checks to take a vacation or to lounge around, not looking for work. But that isn't the majority of people. Not anymore. Not in this economy. So Republicans stereotyping the unemployed is not only rubbing salt into some serious wounds, but it is also an indication of how they don't even know what the problem is. How can they fix something they fail to even acknowledge?

Fortunately, it appears the U.S. Senate might now be able to approve funding for an overdue unemployment benefits package. As West Virginia's Carte Goodwin is sworn into office this week, it looks like the Democrats will have the votes to overcome Republican hardliners who still think it's a good fiscal policy to screw average people. Their masking their hatred of Obama (and thereby, unemployed folks) by pretending to be concerned about the deficit is a joke.

Where is the unemployment compromise from politicians?

Democrats argue that Republicans are heartless monsters, seeking to break the backs of Americans who can't find work. With all of that drama, one might question whether Democrats are sufficiently seeking a compromise solution.

Republicans say that they would approve an extension of unemployment benefits if Democrats would find a way to pay for it, either out of unspent stimulus funds or from other sources. The GOP argument is shaky at best because funding for the unemployed wouldn't really add to the deficit in any measurable way.

This current debate, which leaves millions of Americans without benefits that they helped pay for all of their working careers, is probably the best example of why our political system could be reaching a point of being beyond repair.

If we can't lend a hand to those who have worked hard for two, three or four decades -- who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, and who for one reason or another are being met with near-impossible obstacles in finding new work -- then I believe we've lost our way as a nation.

Unemployed people aren't asking for much. Payments are usually just a fraction of what folks earned while employed. But the amount is a life preserver in rough seas -- a way to survive another day, week or month while searching for work. No one is asking for a yacht to weather the storm. But people do need some sort of flotation device in these unusually difficult times.

Washington politicians are kicking those who are down in an unprecedented manner. Punishing the innocent for no honorable reason. The majority of the long-time unemployed folks were perfectly functional and contributing members of society before the recession hit. If this political game of chicken doesn't stop, millions of previously self-sufficient Americans will essentially be on the street by the end of the summer.

As I have said before, the economy will collapse even further if unemployment benefits are cut off. A whole new wave of layoffs will follow. Folks who are currently employed have as much at stake in this battle as do the people looking for jobs.

This is a dangerous game being played by both parties, with the Republicans looking particularly bad. What should be a slam-dunk decision for the Senate has turned into yet another Washington fight that will have no winners.

Read more from columnist Eugene Robinson.

Sen. Bunning showing his bitterness

Sen. Jim Bunning, a Republican from Kentucky, continues to make news after a confrontation with television news reporters wanting to question him about his one-man crusade to stop federal funding for folks who have lost their jobs in the recession. See video.

A week ago, I had never heard of this man. Now he's the face of everything that is wrong with politics in this country. He's stopping transit projects and hurting unemployed people. He's more concerned about basketball games than answering questions.

If you're still not convinced this dude is off his rocker, here are a few paragraphs from a recent huffingtonpost.com story about this ongoing fiasco:

... when Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) begged him to drop his objection, Bunning replied (according to Politico): "Tough shit."

Bunning says he doesn't oppose extending benefits -- he just doesn't want the money that's required added to the deficit. He proposes paying for the 30-day extension with stimulus funds. The Senate's GOP leadership did not support him in his objections.

And at one point during the debate, which dragged on till nearly midnight, Bunning complained of missing a basketball game.

"I have missed the Kentucky-South Carolina game that started at 9:00," he said,
"and it's the only redeeming chance we had to beat South Carolina since they're the only team that has beat Kentucky this year.

So far, neither party has been able to talk sense into Bunning. He is eroding whatever momentum the Republicans recently gained and infuriating Democrats. He is showing a level of coldness that has some questioning his mental health. This is not the time or issue to try to score political points on. Plus, who is he scoring points with? It appears most Republicans aren't backing him. I emphasize the word appears. More about that later.

Where was Mr. Bunning's principled objections during the previous administration's spending sprees? This isn't about the deficit reduction or fiscal conservatism. This is just a mean, old politician who has announced his intentions to retire, and is going out in the ugliest way possible -- his chance to earn 15 minutes of fame and a pat on the back from some country club buddies back in the bluegrass state who think all unemployed people are scum.

Some, however, believe the GOP is using Bunning, knowing he's leaving office soon, to create greater conflict with the Democrats without appearing like they are against ordinary middle class folks who are down on their luck. If this conspiracy theory is true, the Republicans will have shown a level of stupidity that you have to go back to Watergate to rival. If I were advising Republicans, I would tell them to speak out against Mr. Bunning loudly and often. Distance themselves from this lunatic. I don't buy the conspiracy theory yet, but if there is even a hint of it that is true, it needs to be extinguished now.

As this insane game of political grandstanding continues, millions of Americans are about to take another hit that they weren't prepared for because of the ugly behavior from one mad senator. Unemployment payments could dry up prematurely, adding insult to injury, causing thousands more foreclosures, which bring down the value of other homes. Also note that some of the money Bunning is holding up was targeted for small businesses and much-needed projects.

I have read some of the blogs about this. Most of the commentators are as appalled by Bunning as I am. But every now and then, a hater makes a hit-and-run remark about unemployed people not trying hard enough to find work. For anyone in that camp, I hope you never lose your job. And if you do, I hope it's in a field that hasn't been decimated by the recession. If you think 26 weeks (the normal unemployment payment period) is enough time for most people to find work in this economy, you simply aren't paying attention or are as heartless as Sen. Bunning. If you think 26 weeks is enough time for folks in their 50s or 60s to reinvent themselves after certain professions have gone extinct, think again. I am all for deficit reduction, but not on the backs of people who worked hard all their lives and have fallen victim to a force that was beyond their control.

Americans bailed out the banks. We can certainly help individual citizens weather this storm. It will do society no good to let millions of people lose their homes, live in shelters, eat at soup kitchens, take their kids out of schools, etc. Unemployment payments are usually a fraction of what people earned in their jobs, but they are often what keeps folks from falling off the cliff when those jobs are lost. If Mr. Bunning can't see that, then I question his patriotism as well as his intelligence. This is one senator who can't retire fast enough.

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