Because Sen. John Kerry keeps refusing to show
up for the job for which he is still on the taxpayers' dole, the
Democrats today failed in their election-year ploy to extend
federal jobless benefits yet again despite the booming economy.
The Senate rejected the stunt by one vote. The only one of the
100 lawmakers not voting was Kerry, who deemed it more important
to attack the president in the Bush stronghold of Kentucky.
Although Democrats didn't gripe about the 5.6 percent
unemployment rate when Bill Clinton was running for re-election in
1996, now they claim the same rate is a tragedy.
"Keep our social compact, and extend these needed unemployment
benefits," blubbered Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.
Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., noted the economy's recent addition
of 900,000 jobs and said, "The employment picture in this country
is looking up, by any measure."
'Pretend'
Here's what Kerry had to say today in Louisville about the
unemployed: "We can't just stand back and pretend that they aren't
struggling."
Political consultant Dane Strother told the Associated Press:
"He needs to understand he's probably not connecting with anyone
outside that room."
Note to Sen. Baucus: Why not direct your wrath at your
work-shirking colleague from Massachusetts? If you can find him,
that is.
Note to Kerry: You so seldom show your face at work, perhaps
it's time for you to stop accepting your big fat salary and
instead apply for jobless benefits. Especially now that the lines
are so short.
