Take Two On The Jobs Bill

Harry Reid may hold a test vote as early as Friday on legislation that would authorize arguably the most widely approved part of the American Jobs Act:  putting firefighters and teachers laid off across the country by cash-strapped schools and local governments back to work.

"We are going to make sure there is a vote on our bill this week," Reid told a crowd of fire fighters and teachers at a rally on Capitol Hill Tuesday.

The $35 billion legislation would be paid for with a 0.5 percent surtax on income over $1 million a year -- a tiny new marginal bump that Republicans unanimously oppose. Some analyses suggest the legislation would save or create 400,000 jobs.

"The Republicans who work in the Senate suit up every day and come down and play their game in the Senate by following the lead of their leader -- and that is, whatever they do, to make sure they do everything they can to make Barack Obama [lose]," Reid said.

That's the good news.  The bad news?  It might get even fewer votes than the entire bill did as not only will Republicans unanimously oppose it, but more Blue Dogs in the Senate will turn and bite the President's hand once again and pull Reid's pants down.

[Reid will] face some resistance from his own caucus as well. Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Ben Nelson (D-NE) bucked Reid last week and opposed debate on Obama's entire jobs bill and have signaled they'll do the same this time around. They may be joined by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) who took to Twitter during Reid's speech to oppose the legislation.

"Spending on new programs will add to the amount of money the Special Cmte. on debt cuts has to find," Lieberman tweeted. They already have a very hard job."

Yeah, see, this is a problem, guys.  You're supposed to be backing the President on this.  Does Blanche Lincoln ring a bell with you morons or not?