Republicans block Obama jobs bill

[frigidmagi]

BBC

Republicans in the US Senate have blocked President Barack Obama's jobs bill in a procedural vote.

Forty-six Republican senators joined with two Democrats to filibuster the $447bn (£287bn) bill.

Democratic support for the bill wavered this week, as several Democrats said they would vote for moving the bill forward, but against the bill itself.

Republicans opposed the measure over its spending to stimulate the economy and its tax rise on millionaires.

Mr Obama has said he will work with Democrats to reintroduce components of the bill back into Congress.

The president has spent several weeks promoting the jobs bill in a campaign-style tour across the country.

The plan would have included $175bn in infrastructure spending and aid for local governments to avoid layoffs, as well as Social Security payroll tax cuts for workers and businesses.

Reacting to the vote, Mr Obama said it was "by no means the end of this fight".

He challenged lawmakers to "explain to their constituents why they're against common-sense, bipartisan proposals to create jobs".

The president told a union audience earlier in Pennsylvania. "I think they'll have a hard time explaining why they voted no on this bill - other than the fact that I proposed it."

Mr Obama then travelled to Florida for fundraising, and a beer with four unemployed construction workers to discuss jobs.

He met with the group - three unemployed pipe fitters and one unemployed plumber - at an Irish pub in downtown Orlando to solicit their opinions on the jobs situation.

Gasp and Shock, surely no one could have seen this happening.


If you didn't see this happening please PM me, I have the land deal of the century for you! Cheap land, completely unclaimed! Additionally I can sell you roads, bridges and assorted other goods!

[The Minx]

No surprises there.

I can't see how they expect to do well next year with a record like this. Or are they counting on people (a) being more concerned about the deficit than jobs, or (b) likely to blame Obama for everything that goes wrong?


BTW:

!	Message from: The Minx
	This is a test.

[frigidmagi]

From my understanding, based on what I've read the Republican strategy is has follows:

1: Do allow the situation to get any better, as the Democrats will get the credit.

2: Do not allow the government to response effectively or well to problems.

3: Run on the idea that government is the problem.

If you do everything you can to wreck the process and you run against the process as your platform, as more people lose faith in the system they turn to you the anti-system party. As more people turn to you, the more you can tear down the system and prevent it from working. It's a self feeding loop in their minds.

Another factor feeding into this is the Republican response to their loses in 2006 and 2008. When a party faces such loses they have really 3 responses to reasonably chose from.

I: Radicalization, going further down the path and creating a greater separation from you and your opponents. The Tea Party is pretty much this. The Republicans decided they lost because they were to left wing and did not appeal to the conservative side of America enough. In short, they blame McCain and not Palin.

II: Moderation, closing the gap between you and your opponent, becoming more like him and throwing off your radical elements. This can be dangerous for a political party. After awhile of this, what is there to separate you from him? The Democratic party keeps trying this despite having the most success when they show a clear and present difference between themselves and Republicans. I honestly believe part of the reason for this is that Democrat politicans do not believe left wing Americans to be a dependable voting block.

III: Revolution/Death: You die or reinvent yourself utterly. The Republicans and Democrats in the past have done this, while our own political past is littered with dead parties (Whigs, Federalist and Anti-Federalist parties, etc). The Republicans changed themselves from the party of social radicals and abolitionists in the 1800s to the party of business and nationalism in the 1900s. The Democrats underwent their own changes from the party that supported slavery to the party that ends Don't Ask Don't Tell. One must also note that a change in regional loyalties occurred as well the Republicans started out as a Northern party with strong roots in New England, the Democrats in Dixie. That's utterly reversed itself. I should note for Revolution to really work, a completely new generation of thought and leadership must take over. That hasn't happened in the Tea Party, there are to many experienced faces in their group for it to be considered a revolution in my mind.