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Christine O’Donnell Compares Extending Unemployment Benefits to Pearl Harbor
While speaking in Virginia last night, Sarah Palin’s mini-me Christine O’Donnell compared the extension of unemployment benefits for 2 million Americans to Pearl Harbor. O’Donnell said, “Tragedy comes in threes, Pearl Harbor, Elizabeth Edwards’s passing and Barack Obama’s announcement of extending the tax cuts, which is good, but also extending the unemployment benefits.”
According to The Hill, O’Donnell explained why helping the unemployed was a national tragedy comparable to the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor, and death, “The reason I say this is a tragedy is because his announcement of economic recovery was more of a potpourri of sound bytes. It’s like he took a little bit of what each party wanted and put it together. It’s not a solid plan constructed on sound economic principles.”
Laughably, she later tried to claim that she didn’t mean that extending unemployment benefits was just like Pearl Harbor at all, even though that was what she just said, “”If we’re going to extend the jobless benefits we have got to cut spending programs and that’s the flaw in his announcement. That’s the tragedy.”
The idea that it would be considered tragic for people in need to be able to afford food and shelter is mind blowing, but O’Donnell’s statements are emblematic of the political world that we all live in now. By trying to compromise, Obama has been blasted by both sides of the political extreme. Americans on both the right and left have been conditioned over the last 20 years to view politics as a zero sum game. There must be a winner and a loser on every issue. Compromise is the equivalent of a loss. This mentality exists on both sides of the political spectrum.
Christine O’Donnell’s views typify what Obama was up against on this issue. The Republicans would have been happy to cut off unemployment benefits for two million Americans. They wouldn’t have blinked. Public opinion would have quickly turned against the president cable news reported stories of Americans suffering because their unemployment benefits were cut off. Republicans were prepared to dig in for months and let millions of Americans suffer, and I have a hunch that the left wing criticism of Obama would have turned into questions about why Obama wasn’t fighting for the unemployed.
The fact is that the left can be outraged with the decision to compromise, but the White House knows that Keith Olbermann and all the rest of the rageaholics will be supporting Obama in 2012. Unlike the Republicans, their threats are empty. What is most frightening is that Christine O’Donnell is actually championed by the right as speaking for them. I sincerely believe that the left still does not comprehend how extreme the beliefs of the right are, and what is at stake here.
The right will not stop until they have dismantled almost eighty years of liberal progress. Their goals go beyond redistributing wealth upwards. They will not stop until the entire social safety has been dismantled. The left has responded to the right with extremism of their own, but the key to success rests in moving to the middle, not farther left. For Christine O’Donnell helping the unemployed was akin to Pearl Harbor, was the left willing to treat their fellow Americans the same way?
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14 Responses to Christine O’Donnell Compares Extending Unemployment Benefits to Pearl Harbor
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majii
Dec. 8th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
I say yes, there are many on the extreme left who would sacrifice the unemployed on the alter of absolutism, as long as they get what they would call a “victory.” I was on the site, Pensito Review, where I saw a poll that says that this move by the president has caused him the support of his “base.” Funny, no pollster ever includes me or my family members/friends in any of these polls.
www.pensitoreview.com/
Jason Easley
Dec. 8th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
@majii There is a big disconnect between the views of the Internet left, and the rest of the left. I think that the anger over this compromise will be quickly forgotten on both sides.
Hrafnkell Haraldsson
Dec. 8th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
I would think she’d be arguing FOR unemployment benefits! The real tragedy is this woman’s completely insufficient intellect.
Jason Easley
Dec. 8th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
@Hraf Being that O’Donnell has never been able to hold a job and has been unemployed for roughly 12 years, your point is well taken. Just another Republican voting against their own self interest. :)
mary
Dec. 8th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Why does this woman’s opinion about anything matter? She is not, and never has been, an elected member of anything. At least Sarah Palin is a quitter governor. Christine O’Donnell – and I never thought I’d say this about anyone – is an even bigger nothing than Sarah Palin.
Anonymous
Dec. 8th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Well if every unemployed person ran for office, lost, and then took the leftover money to pay their own bills, we would not need to pay another round of unemployment compensation: www.csmonitor.com/USA/Ele...
Obama may have a long-term plan…IF he gets reelected, the issue will be debated again at a time when unemployment compensation renewal is not an issue. IF he is not reelected, the high-end income tax cuts may become permanent and the 2% additional tax cut derived from Social Security will only strengthen the argument for privatization.
793tango
Dec. 8th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
The more this woman speaks the more stupid she appears. And so do the people who support her. Maybe if she and her ilk are left out of the ‘social safety net’ and end up begging on the streets will they understand……then again, maybe not.
pacos_gal
Dec. 8th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
Isn’t she also forming an issue related PAC now too? Mini-Palin indeed.
She really is a bunch of hot air. What amazes me is that anyone would think she had something to say worth listening to.
Of course I feel the same way about Palin, so that isn’t say much I suppose.
retroscifigeek
Dec. 8th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Since she didn’t get elected, doesnt she qualify for unemployed benefits?
JoeKnows
Dec. 8th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
“Redistributing wealth upwards”, now that’s an interesting statement when we’re talking about redistributing something back to those individuals who own it in the first place.
ANorwegian
Dec. 9th, 2010 at 3:13 am
As an outsider I can only say this about American politics… Both of your political sides are comparatively extreme, compared to other democratic countries.
You have too many narcissistic decoy “politicians” that seems to must have ADD as a prerequisite for being heard.
Please stop listening to these loud-mouths and start listening to your more sensible people. People who actually stop and think before answering. People who don’t make insane analogies just because they feel they have to “level” with their peers. Or as you say it; dumb down.
mark
Dec. 15th, 2010 at 1:11 am
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Jack Davis
Dec. 23rd, 2010 at 3:09 am
“The right will not stop until they have dismantled almost eighty years of liberal progress. Their goals go beyond redistributing wealth upwards. They will not stop until the entire social safety has been dismantled. ”
That’s not a legitimate fear. The Republicans will not touch Soc Sec or Medicare, as they want to get reelected. Even among Tea Party members, 60% dont want those programs touched.