Ed Kilgore on the budget deal:
If I were a congressional Democrat under orders to vote for this deal, I tell you what: I’d make sure to get as many of my colleagues as possible together on a public pledge to make measures aimed at reducing long-term unemployment my top priority in 2014, whether it’s via restoring benefits in a free-standing bill, or an intensive job placement assistance program, or direct federal hiring. The one thing we know for sure about long-term unemployment is that it tends to be self-perpetuating and socially corrosive, so there is no time to waste. Yes, Republicans will fight almost any relief effort, but they should at least be forced to go on record labeling one million of their fellow citizens as permanently disposable.
If I were a congressional Democrat under orders to vote for this deal, I would tell the leadership to stuff it. It’s obvious that the Republican leadership is desperate to avoid another government shutdown, and it appears that Speaker Boehner will have to rely heavily on Democratic votes to pass this budget. If it doesn’t do anything for people who have been out of work for a year or more, then the bill is unconscionable and should not be supported. Even from a cynical political point of view, it’s better to force the Republicans into another government shutdown than it is to impotently criticize them for their callousness.
If the Dems can’t help desperate people during the holiday season when the GOP is eager to make a deal, then they can’t help them at all. If the House Republicans want this budget, let them vote for it. If they want progressive votes, let them come to us with an offer. This deal isn’t good enough.
