Note: Dianne Feinstein’s communications director emailed me on Thursday morning to say the Senator was misquoted, and that the WaPo and HuffPo would be issuing a correction. I’ll add more info as I get it. Original post follows.
The US Senate, continuing its tradition of destroying the economy and preferring to fret about deficits instead of pushing for economic recovery, today voted down cloture for the jobs bill, which looks increasingly unlikely to pass. Both of California’s Senators, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, did the right thing and voted for cloture.
But Dianne Feinstein is starting to wobble. Even though her state is suffering from 12.3% unemployment – a record rate, likely the highest since the Great Depression – she apparently thinks there are plenty of jobs out there going unfilled because people are too lazy to work, preferring to enjoy their unemployment benefits.
Yes, she really said this:
“We have 99 weeks of unemployment insurance,” Feinstein said. “The question comes, how long do you continue before people just don’t want to go back to work at all?”
This is perhaps the classic statement from one of California’s most elitist and out of touch politicians. It’s as if she has absolutely no clue at all about the economic conditions out here.
As most people know – whether you are unemployed or know someone who is unemployed – the fact of the matter is that there are no jobs available. People aren’t on long-term unemployment benefits because they want to be, they’re on those benefits because they cannot find a new job.
With fiscal austerity long dominant in Sacramento and now becoming dominant in Washington D.C., there’s less money in the economy to support job expansion, and less ability for government to pick up the slack through their own hiring, which they should be doing in a severe recession like this.
One of the major political and economic problems this country will face in this decade is the long-term unemployment crisis. The best solution is indeed to get people back to work. But that won’t happen by punishing people for being unemployed in the worst job market since the Depression. Instead the Senate has to get off its ass and finally embrace stimulus and make job creation its #1 priority. Unfortunately, they appear to be listening to the deficit scolds, who do not have our best interests in mind.
If Feinstein holds to this view, it should be the final straw for California Democrats, who should begin organizing a serious primary challenge to her in 2012. Such an unrealistic and insensitive attitude is not appropriate in a US Senator from any state, much less one from California.
I hope the democrats are preparing a replacement for Di Fi at over 80 she should be thinking of retiring. Myself I have pulled the lever for her the last time. Democrats have 2 years that should be enough time
Those rumours of her running for Governor proved to be false. I hate that Republicrat for enabling Bush.
California’s U6 unemployment (Total unemployed, plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, plus total employed part time for economic reasons) is at 16.6%.
http://www.economicpopulist.or…
Smoke and mirrors.
Jesus, she really is senile isn’t she? She makes Carlita Freakorina seem compassionate. As if unemployment actually paid enough to meet one’s bills. Would like to see Feinie exist on unemployment month ater month after month.
I called her local office and told them that I would never vote for her again as a result. She does not represent Californian values. I would actively support a viable primary challenger.
For me, the “final straw” was many, many straws ago. I doubt that she’ll retire in 2012, though; these Senators seem to think that they’re entitled to lifetime tenure (Byrd, Specter, etc.)
Perhaps she was misquoted on unemployment, but how about this on climate change: “The climate bill isn’t going to stop the oil leak. The first thing you have to do is stop the oil leak.”
This is clueless on so many levels. How is any legislation in the glacial Senate going to stop the oil leak? Just considering GOP obstacles, it would be weeks for anything to pass. And isn’t it possible to do more than one thing at a time? You know, perhaps deal with the most pressing environmental crisis of our generation, deal with long term issues?
(via Steve Benen)
claimed gays were responsible for the midterm losses. Just couldn’t stand to be in the same “room” with that horrible woman. She also said gay rights were “too much too soon”. Cute. That’s exactly what my great aunt said when the court removed restrictions from her lovely “restricted” neighborhood.