you want something, they demand in return the opportunity to shaft someone they do not like.
Yes, one can legitimately argue that with the economy improving the period of extended unemployment should be reduced, although one can also equally argue that there are still multiple people looking for work for every new job opening, so it is too early to cut back on that.
But consider this - to get the payroll tax cut and extend unemployment benefits, the demand of the Republicans was to shaft federal workers -
Quoting from Joan's front-page story on the House vote:
The pay-fors now include those unpopular adjustments to the federal retiree pensions formula, requiring new hires to pay more into their pension plans, shielding current federal workers from the hike.
So remember this - when the Republicans demand something for a "compromise" the first thing to check is whom they want to shaft - this time it was federal workers, which is why Steny Hoyer (who represents Maryland suburbs of DC) voted against it, and Sen. Mark Warner apparently will join him in that rejection, as probably will Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland.
We have seen Republicans willing to shaft women, shaft poor people, shaft minorities, and now they want to shaft federal employees.
If they keep it up, they may well suffer a political loss hard to imagine, which would serve them right.
Just saying . . . .