Obama, GOP deficit hawks agree to dole out cash to the unemployed and the rich

Pres. Obama announced Monday night that the White House had struck a deal with Capitol Hill Republicans to end the Democratic-Republican standoff preventing the extension of full Bush tax cuts on one hand and unemployment insurance on the other. Despite public railing and hand-wringing over the deficit, Washington will give out cash both to the wealthiest Americans and to the unemployed.

Senate fails to pass unemployment insurance extension

The U.S. Senate Tuesday failed to pass a bill that would have extended federal unemployment benefits through next year. Republicans, citing concerns for the growing budget deficit, objected to the fact that the $56.4 billion price tag tied to…

Top economists plead case for unemployment insurance extension

Today Congress must decide on whether it will extend unemployment insurance benefits for millions of out-of-work Americans. Republican lawmakers have resisted extension, in part making the argument that unemployment insurance is becoming welfare and extending it will increase the…

Jobless benefits extension muddled by lawmaker wrangling

Mike Lillis at the Washington Independent sends the following dispatch from the frontlines in the partisan war to extend benefits to the vast ranks of the unemployed.

“To hear the Democrats tell the tale,” he writes,…