"Tough Shit"

A lot of this stuff isn't about policy. The sheer contempt that many Republicans have for those less fortunate than them is really stunning: (Via atrios)

Jim Bunning, a Republican from Kentucky, is single-handedly blocking Senate action needed to prevent an estimated 1.2 million American workers from prematurely losing their unemployment benefits next month.

As Democratic senators asked again and again for unanimous consent for a vote on a 30-day extension Thursday night, Bunning refused to go along.

And when Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) begged him to drop his objection, Politico reports, Bunning replied: "Tough shit."

. . .

The stakes are enormous: provisions of last year's stimulus bill that allow extra weeks of unemployment benefits and COBRA health coverage are set to expire on Feb. 22. State workforce agencies have already sent out letters informing recipients that they'll be ineligible for extra "tiers" of benefits starting next month. The National Employment Law Project estimates that 1.2 million people will prematurely lose benefits in March.

What a monster. If you've got a few extra minutes in lunch hour, let him know how you feel:

202-224-4343

Like atrios said, be polite, and don't use any language that the esteemed Senator from Kentucky wouldn't be comfortable with.