The GOP Unemployment Ploy

Republicans are beginning to realize their position that the long-term unemployed are "just too lazy to find work and don't need benefits" is going to get them killed in November.  All of a sudden, Republicans like House Speaker John Boehner are all for extending benefits.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) remains open to an extension of emergency unemployment benefits even in the face of growing conservative opposition to such a move.

The Ohio Republican maintains the position he expressed last month that Republicans would “clearly consider” an extension of federal help for the long-term unemployed “as long as it’s paid for and as long as there are other efforts that will help get our economy moving once again,” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said Friday.

And surprise, surprise:  Sen. Rand Paul got the memo that Kentucky's unemployment picture is pretty lousy, so now he's for extending benefits too:

"Well, what I have always said is that it needs to be paid for, but we also need to do something for long-term unemployed people, and that is, we need to create something new that creates jobs. So, what I would like to do, when we get back, is one, if we extend it, we pay for it. But, two, we add something to it that would create jobs. And so what I have been promoting are economic freedom zones, which any area that has unemployment one-and-a-half times the national average, we would dramatically lower taxes to try to spur and stimulate the economy there and create jobs."

Of course, this is the part where Republicans all add on demands for these benefits in order to support the bill.  Both Boehner and Paul want to cut the budget elsewhere to "pay for" these extended benefits.  My suggestion is that Democrats take them up on the offer and start with eliminating big oil company subsidies and tax breaks.

Why, we'd even come out ahead I'm betting.