Morning Reading and Cartoon - Afflicting the Afflicted

With potential cuts in the Food Stamp program looming, Republicans continue to pile on with their refusal (so far) to extend unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed.  Paul Krugman writes how this is not only callous, but bad economics:

Now, the G.O.P.’s desire to punish the unemployed doesn’t arise solely from bad economics; it’s part of a general pattern of afflicting the afflicted while comforting the comfortable (no to food stamps, yes to farm subsidies). But ideas do matter — as John Maynard Keynes famously wrote, they are “dangerous for good or evil.” And the case of unemployment benefits is an especially clear example of superficially plausible but wrong economic ideas being dangerous for evil. [snip]

The point is that employment in today’s American economy is limited by demand, not supply. Businesses aren’t failing to hire because they can’t find willing workers; they’re failing to hire because they can’t find enough customers. And slashing unemployment benefits — which would have the side effect of reducing incomes and hence consumer spending — would just make the situation worse. 

Of course, "making the situation worse" has been part of the Republican game plan since 2009.  The entire piece is worth a read, of course, because Krugman pops the various right-wing balloons about "motivating" the unemployed through cut-offs in their unemployment benefits.

Here, too, are all the economic fairness issues in a nutshell, as provided by Tom Tomorrow, via Kos (click to enlarge):

As Krugman says, "Merry Christmas."

It's Why We Call Them "Rethugs," Cont.

A bill to extend unemployment benefits was blocked today in the House by... you guessed it! The Rethugs. The benefits are set to expire December 1, just in time for the holidays. Robert Gibbs had the pithy observation "I don't think we want to leave here having fought for tax cuts for millionaires and against unemployment insurance for those that have lost their jobs."

Remember, the vote was taken with the Rethug caucus that's currently in the minority. When the 60 or so freshmen teahadist Rethugs that were just elected join these Randians in January to form the majority in the House, watch out.

Exposing the Rethugs

The sickness at the heart of the Rethuglican/New Confederate Party is exemplified by the relentless, cynical obstruction of everything that would help repair the damage that their misrule caused. From opposing the original stimulus (despite including billions in tax cuts), health insurance reform (despite runaway health care costs for the middle class), and the financial reform bill (only months after a near-collapse due to unregulated risk-taking), the Rethugs' record is abysmal. President Obama took to the Rose Garden today to blast them for their most recent obstruction of unemployment benefits, and their desire to extend Dumbya's tax cuts for the wealthy.

Most Americans are, as Paul Krugman noted today, misinformed about the state of affairs, and understandably busy making a living and trying to make ends meet. But Dems need to seize the opportunity given them by Rethugs who are revealing their true nature: apologizing to BP, calling the financial crisis an "ant" and caring more about tax cuts for Pills Limpballs than keeping people in their homes.