Quote of the Month

“I want to tell you one more thing I know about the Negro. …  I’ve often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn’t get no more freedom. They got less freedom.”

Cliven Bundy

Anybody surprised by this?  What say you now, Dean Heller and Sean Hannity, and all you morons defending your fellow moron?  I especially love that “family life” part.  Oh, yes, family life on the ole plantation.  Getting raped by the master, having your husband and children sold to other masters so you never saw them again.  Good times…

One Vote, Just One Damn Vote

A three-month extension of unemployment benefits for 1.7 million of us failed today in the Senate by just one vote.  They had 59 votes, which is of course a majority, but because of the filibuster you need 60.

These four Republicans voted in favor:  Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Susan Collins of Maine, Dean Heller of Nevada, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

They Got the Votes!

Six Republican senators joined with the Democrats to break a filibuster for a three-month extension of the unemployment benefits that expired on December 28.  The vote was 60-37 (Dem Mark Begich of Alaska couldn’t get there).

Thank you to these “good” Republicans — Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Dan Coats of Indiana, Dean Heller of Nevada, and Rob Portman of Ohio — for doing the right thing — at least procedurally — for both our long-term unemployed and our economy.

But now they move to the substantive vote — and they still have to find a way to pay for the thing, so it’s far from done.

Then, of course, it would take a miracle to get it through the House, where 207 of the GOP seats are considered safe, so no incentive to rock the boat there .