Senate Dems will delay or doom this bill by their reflexive attempt to turn it into a Christmas Tree.
The trimmings as reported here:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein: extending unemployment insurance and increasing food stamps
Sen. Barbara Boxer: aid for seniors who do not pay taxes, $10 billion to help communities combat a rising tide of vacant houses caused by foreclosures and giving tax breaks to promote “green jobs.”
Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (Rino): include an unemployment insurance extension
...and from a Washington Post article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/24/AR2008012400532.html?hpid=topnews
Sen. Max Baucus: increase the size of tax payments for the working poor and restore unemployment benefit extensions
Sen. Ron Wyden: funds for infrastructure projects
Sen. Patty Murray: funding for youth summer job programs
Sen. Patrick J. Leahy: food stamp funds
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton: relief from skyrocketing energy bills, expanded unemployment insurance
So right there are specific demands from eight senators already.
And I have no doubt whatsoever that the rest of the brand-name socialists and obstructionists (Schumer, Kennedy, Reid, et al) will get themselves into print with more demands for handouts and pork before the State of the Union Address on Monday night.
At best that means there’s gonna be weeks of posturing and harrumphing before this thing sees a vote. Remember, it’s not what’s good for America (note: for the record, I *don’t* think this is good for America), it’s what’s good politics.
Actually some of these sound better to address long range economic problems than a one-year election year goose up.