Unemployment Compensation Extension Act Passes

Yesterday Jim McDermott's bill, H.R. 3548, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009, passed overwhelmingly,331-83. Among the 38 co-sponsors were 2 Republicans, Candice Miller (R-MI) and Steven LaTourette (R-OH), both from high unemployment states. The 83 "no" votes were mostly the usual suspects, obstructionist, anti-working family Republicans-- like Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Eric Cantor (R-VA), John Culberson (R-TX), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Steve King (R-IA), Connie Mack (R-FL), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Pete Sessions (R-TX), and John Shaddegg (R-AZ)-- plus a mangy gaggle of unreconstructed Blue Dogs who call themselves Democrats for no reasons that make any sense: Dan Boren (OK), Leonard Boswell (IA), Jim Melancon (LA), Mike Ross (AR), etc.

Melancon, who's running for the Senate seat soiled by David Vitter's dirty diapers, claims he voted against the bill because it didn't offer enough to Louisiana, although I noticed that Republican Congressman Anh Cao from New Orleans felt it offered enough to get him to vote yes. The bill provides another 13 weeks of unemployment benefits in the 29 states (plus DC and Puerto Rico) with three-month average total unemployment rates of at least 8.5%. That doesn't include Louisiana. It certainly does include states where members like Virginia Foxx, Connie Mack, Tom McClintock and John Shaddegg come from. It's a lifeline for 300,000 jobless workers and their families whose unemplyment benefits will run out by the end of the month.

Using the same selfish thought process as Melancon, conservatives like Denny Hastert opposed rebuilding New Orleans; after all why use tax money from Illinois to help a bunch of bums in Louisiana. Once again, Jim Melancon proves that Louisianans who don't want change have nothing to fear by voting against Vitter. We should all pray Stormy Daniels decides to run as an independent-- and offer voters a real choice.