Reply #87: Here are the facts, read and weep [View All]

[WitchWay]

You know, people should take this seriously and learn some basics about Kucinich before lashing out at him ignorantly to excuse Kerry and Edwards sleeping on the job. Anyone who knows about Kucinich knows he keeps close track of all employment issues and would never
miss a vote on unemployment if his vote was needed.

Kucinich serves on the House Education and Workforce Committee, which is responsible for unemployment benefits, so he has been working closely with George Miller, the ranking Democrat on that committee and
member of the House Progressive Caucus, which Kucinich co-chairs, for months trying to maneuver the unemployment extension through the House. http://bernie.house.gov/pc/members.asp

It was Miller who made the tactical insertion of the
unemployment extension as an amendment in the
Community Services Block Grant Act.
http://edworkforce.house.gov/democrats/releases/rel2404b.html

It was a brilliant move, obviously, because 39 House
Republicans signed onto it, no doubt scared of
obstructing funds from flowing to their districts'
local government social service programs and having to
explain that it was more important to deny relief to
the unemployed in their districts who are often the
same constituents in need of those social services --
or able to use the amendment as an excuse to vote for
the extension without seeming to imply they think the
economy is as bsd as it really is.

There's no question that Kucinich was not only well
aware of what Miller was doing, but in on the scheming
for it, and that Kucinich would have rushed to D.C.
immediately if his vote was needed. His campaign
website even has a big bold red disclaimer on it
saying that all his schedules are tentative because he
may need to rush to D.C. to vote at a moment's notice:
http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.php

Kucinich also gets the majority of his organizational
campaign support from labor unions, and if you'll
notice, among the other House members who didn't vote
on the bill were Dick Gephardt, the minority leader
and also hugely backed by labor, and John Conyers,
chair of the Black Congressional Caucus. There's no
doubt Kucinich, Gephardt and Conyers knew in advance
what Miller was planning to do and knew their votes
wouldn't be needed for the maneuver.

Kerry and Edwards have no such excuse. They knew this
was coming because the House bill passed on Feb. 4.
Kerry recently got the endorsement of the AFL-CIO and
appeared with Sweeney, who had issued two press
releases on the very day of the House vote, and the
day after, praising Miller for pulling of the tactical
victory for unemployment extension:
http://www.aflcio.org/mediacenter/prsptm/pr02042004.cfm
http://www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/jobs/ns01292004.cfm

Sen. Dodd publicly demanded action on the issue on
Feb. 11:
http://www.senate.gov/~dodd/press/Releases/04/0211a.htm

The Charlotte Observer in Edwards' home state knew in
advance and expected it to be close enough to press
Elizabeth Dole to vote for it in an editorial, never
imagining she would do so but be thwarted by Edwards
failing to show up. If the Observer knew the vote was
coming, why didn't Edwards?
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/opinion/8053592.htm

What's happened is that Kerry and Edwards just
thwarted months of maneuvering by progressive members
of the House, led by Kucinich and Miller, to get this
bill passed. Now hundreds of thousands of families
will suffer for several more weeks, many becoming
homeless, defaulting on loans, losing homes and cars
to foreclosure, crashing their credit ratings. Kerry
and Edwards have no one to blame for this -- they are
to blame.

And it wasn't any Republican move that brought on the
vote. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer demanded
action on Feb. 25,:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040225/dcw066_1.html

And finally it was Maria Cantwell who LOUDLY made the
maneuver on the Senate floor on February 26 to insert the extension
into a gun bill:
http://www.the-mechanic.com/mainbb.html
(search on the page for TEUC or Cantwell)
Note that this Feb 25 article even PRINTS IN BOLD that the vote would occur the following morning. And also mentions that the
proceedings on the issue would be broadcast live on
CSPAN-2. Wow, way to sneak it under Kerry and
Edwards' radar, eh?

And way back at the end of January Ted Kennedy said
he'd bring another vote ASAP after the last one
failed:

"Kennedy said he would attempt to bring the issue to a
vote as soon as possible. 'It’s urgent,' he said, 'for
Congress to reinstate these unemployment benefits with
or without the support of this ‘Let them eat cake’
White House.' "
http://www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/jobs/ns01292004.cfm

Once again, we find absolutely resounding evidence
that Kucinich is far and away the best candidate,
three cuts above the others at least, to beat Bush and
restore this country to responsible, decent, and sound governance.