Feb 06 2009
60 to Come Soon
The number of American workers filing for new unemployment benefits has hit a twenty-six-year high. As the numbers grow, it is very difficult to imagine that there is enough to go around. Now is the time to create jobs, yet it is hard to proceed when Washington is divided. The current obstacle resides in the Senate, where republicans and a few democrats have vowed to make cuts to President Obama’s $900 billion economic stimulus plan before it is passed.
Election night in November was a victorious moment for Obama and the Democratic party, but believe it or not, things could have turned out better. The Democrats fell just shy of the magic number 60 in the senate race, and this might come back to haunt them in the coming weeks or months. On the other hand, the Republicans can delay and filibuster all they want, but what kind of example does that set. Besides, Obama can use this to his advantage, claiming the Republicans are impeding the progress and change that Americans are yearning for. If Obama’s popularity continues to linger in the coming years, and at the same time, turns away from bipartisanship, 60 will become a reality.
