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Tom Delay: People Unemployed Because They Want to Be
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by Karen Hatter | March 7, 2010 at 11:06 am
597 views | 14 Recommendations | 20 comments
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Former Republican House Majority Leader Tom Delay of Texas, appearing on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, March 7, 2010, told Candy Crowley that Senator Jim Bunning (R-Ky) was brave to launch his one man filibuster against signing an extension on unemployment benefits, affecting more than 200,000 thousand unemployed Americans per week. Among the 200,000 of that week, about 100,000 American's benefits had already ceased.
The former house leader agreed with Senator Bunning's statement implying lack of benefits offered more of an incentive for the unemployed to work.
Senator Bunning blocked allowing unemployment benefits be considered by unanimious consent, wanting clarity on how the benefits would be paid.
Asked whether it was bad strategy to make a budget stand on a $10 billion extension of unemployment (as opposed to, say, the Bush's $720 billion prescription drug package), Delay insisted that if the PR had been done right, Bunning would have been applauded. Helping the unemployed with federal assistance, he said, was unsound policy.
"You know," Delay said, "there is an argument to be made that these extensions, the unemployment benefits keeps people from going and finding jobs. In fact there are some studies that have been done that show people stay on unemployment compensation and they don't look for a job until two or three weeks before they know the benefits are going to run out.
Host Candy Crowley: Congressman, that's a hard sell, isn't it?
Delay: it's the truth.
Senator Bunning eventually relented with the extension occuring, possibly making it possible for some states to issue checks to those already determined to be eligible.
The passage and enactment of the legislation means that state agencies can begin sending checks to thousands of unemployed Americans who were in danger of losing their benefit if Congress did not act.
Groups involved with unemployment issues believe passage of the extension may have allowed some states enough time to cut checks for those who are already eligible to receive the extended benefits. However, almost half of the 200,000 people per week affected by the extension are filing for the first time.
Worried about not getting checks
“Those are the ones we are worried about not getting their checks this week,” says Andrew Stettner of the National Employment Law Project (NELP), which advocates for the unemployed. “We know there will be delays.”
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Karen Hatter
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
zeet
New York, New York, United States
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Albert Milliron
Columbia, South Carolina, United States
Tomitheos Linardos
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Uwe Paschen
Narita, Chiba, Japan
Susan Marie Kovalinsky
Ledgewood, New Jersey, United States
Rhonda J Mangus
North Tonawanda, New York, United States
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (20)
at 11:51 on March 7th, 2010
Tom Delay represents Republicans who are genuinely out of touch with reality, or truly don't give a damned about their fellow human beings because they have it, and doesn't matter that others are have nots.
at 07:40 on March 8th, 2010
That might well be said of our current President, also.
at 12:06 on March 7th, 2010
Yup, the good old conservative "sod you Jack, I'm all right" mentality.
Vote down job creating packages, vote down unemployment benefits, I don't think they'll be able to vote down the back-lash of anger that will come from the people they are trying to kick in the teeth.
The banks created this situation, how about making them pay for it? Instead of tax payers.
The jobs aren't there to be chased down, create the jobs first.
at 12:52 on March 7th, 2010
Ms. Hatter:
When and where did Tom Delay say, "People unemployed because they want to be" ?
If that's your interpretation of what Delay said, fine. But until you can attribute a quote from Delay in which he said, "People unemployed because they want to be", then you either need to change your headline or designate this story as an opinion piece.
naa orra daravon sonna noora daravon sonna madree: I don't have an ideological, political, or sociological axe to grind. I'm just in love with the truth. And as far as I'm concerned, the Republican party and the Democratic party are just different sides of the same coin. And I have equal contempt for both parties . . . .
at 14:05 on March 7th, 2010
I did not offer my opinion or interpretation, Rory.
The title of my article is almost verbatim of the linked article, Tom Delay: People ARE Unemployed Because They Want to Be.
From the linked article:
Source: huffingtonpost.com
When asked the question:
"People are unemployed because they want to be?"
Tom Delay replies:
"Well, it is the truth."
That would seem to sum up his opinion, not mine.
at 16:07 on March 7th, 2010
Ms. Hatter:
Again I ask: When and where did Tom Delay say, "People unemployed because they want to be" ?
That is what you stated in your headline: "People unemployed because they want to be"
Delay didn't make that statement! Crowely made that statement in the form of a question! However in your headline, you make it sound as though it was Delay's statement! And any intelligent, fair-minded, and reasonable reader would interpret it as such.
Moreover, the truth about the statement should have been included within the first paragraph of your story. Indeed, not once in your story did you even give a hint that the statement, "People unemployed because they want to be", was Crowely's statement and not Delay's.
at 20:24 on March 7th, 2010
When he confirms the notion posed he makes it his own, and thus it may be attributed to him. True he never spoke it verbatim but that becomes a nonfactor as clearly in the course of the interview as provided he asserts such a sentiment as his own.
at 07:50 on March 8th, 2010
Grace H: Either Delay said it or he didn't. Crowely is the one that said it. And if that had been pointed out in the story I probably wouldn't have bothered commenting. Who said it only came out in a reply to my comment. I have no doubt Delay feels that way, however what Delay "feels" or how he responded to a question is not the point of my criticism. I don't give a crap about Delay (or any politician for that matter), nor is my comment meant to imply that I'm defending his position. It just seemed to me that the author was injecting her political bias into the headline of a non opinion piece.
at 08:00 on March 8th, 2010
As I stated previously, I did not offer my opinion or interpretation, Rory.
The title of my article is almost verbatim of the linked article, Tom Delay: People ARE Unemployed Because They Want to Be.
at 13:00 on March 7th, 2010
Karen: I always thought Tom Delay looked like a reptile, and his eyes really are ugly. I read something about him written by the Lyndon LaRouche team when I was at a mall, bored and only had their pamphlets to read. But it stuck with me. I know Rory will kill me, but I agree that he is indeed saying that "people are unemployed because they want to be": He as much said so, by saying that the benefits, which allow them to sit on their arses, must be taken away, or there is no incentive to find work. I hear you, and I agree. He is a creep and a jerk, and he is the face of so much Republican heartless elitism.
at 13:51 on March 7th, 2010
I'm not sure what he looks like, Susan, but, I agree with you that he is " .... the face of so much Republican heartless elitism."
at 14:20 on March 7th, 2010
G: My point is that Delay hasn't said what the headline says what he said. And stop hanging out with the LaRouche crowd . . . They're almost as boring as the JBS.
Thanks for taking sides sister.
at 13:29 on March 7th, 2010
Yes------you hit the mark, Roy-----Delay is clearly a horse's ass. And yes, Limbaugh and others, content and rich off the masses, have NO idea what people are going through. Personally, I think Limbaugh must be laughing all the way to the bank. But NO, most people cannot live well off unemployment. And the woman who phoned into Limbaugh was probably paying peanuts, too, as you noted. I know how that goes. Commission, or something. Of COURSE they NEEDED to keep their benefits. Well, let it get worse and worse and worse, and then we shall see who likes Limbaugh, with his millions upon millions and his cigar in his gloved talons, and his belly sticking out, standing proud astride the world........You hit the nail on the head, Roy. Right on target. very fair of you.
at 15:34 on March 7th, 2010
Oh sure folks are unemployed because they want to be... absolutely correct! But by the time you pay for Gas, Childcare and all of the other expenses working at a job that was designed for teenagers and extra money seekers is fruitless. Somewhere becoming a politician moved from being a service to ones country to a stepping stone to becoming elite.
It would be nice to go a day or two without a politician opening his mouth, having an affair, embezzling, or abusing power.
One thing is for sure, folks like you and I will always have a job writing about them.
at 20:28 on March 7th, 2010
It is not "a stepping stone to becoming elite" as most politicians have money (especially on the federal level. Therefore, its not that any politician has lost touch with their roots or anything else but that they never had them in the first place. In this way especially America has ended up the new Rome per se.
But seriously seconded on the affair, embezzelment et all sentiment!!
at 16:44 on March 7th, 2010
I did want to mention that Senator Bunning argument that we should stick to Pay-Go. I agree that we should stick to Pay-Go and work on reducing the debt. Problem is Bunning did not vote in favor of pay-go. he voted against it. One thing that burns me is a politician who flip-flops for convenience or to make the other side look bad.
at 09:55 on March 17th, 2010
I found a link to that nay vote by Senator Bunning, Al.
at 10:03 on March 17th, 2010
Now that's persistence! Nice job Karen. (And thanks for the recommendation on my story today. Couldn't send e mail.)
at 17:44 on March 18th, 2010
You're welcome, Nanute and thank you!
Actually, it wasn't persistence, just luck. I was looking for something else and came across it!
at 06:58 on March 9th, 2010
I was in stunned disbelief when I heard and listened to this man make that statement - how out of touch is he - he must get out of politics - he is not mentally capable of making decisions on his own. You can't even pay your rent with what you get - the problem big guys in Washington is there are no jobs to look for - get with it, Tom is the biggest jerk yet.