This will be short because I am franky stunned and can't make sense of this well yet but I didn't see the news elsewhere here. The Senate has rejected a payment to Social Security recipients like that pased the last two years. The payment stimulates the listless conumer sector and also helps vulnerable seniors. Even the compassion challenged Bush called for the first one.
The roll call has names I wouldn't have guessed on the nay side. This was a fatal carreer move for many of these dolts.
What were they thinking? I haven't read the journal yet but I can't imagine many of these voting against this measure want this vote remembered so I doubt much was said at all - by Democrats especialy. But the memory of retired people on issues that effect them greatly is not short. Over one third of a months income is what many seniors lost today.
As for Republicans - they will chortle over the 10 Democrats who defected but they won't be able to easily explain this one away in their own states either.
Not only could retired people have used the assistance in a marketplace where the cost of food and transportation (which are the bulk of the poorest's expenses) has gone up sharply even in a deflation but the whole economy needs such positive jolts in this listless jobless 'recovery'.