POWIP Piece of Work In Progress – Former Abode of Dan Collins

Harry Reid: Republicans Call Those Seeking Work “Bums” and “Hobos”

Well, not exactly.

Reid’s Deputy Communications Director Regan Lachapelle told CNSNews.com that when Reid said Republicans had referred to unemployed people as "bums" and "hobos" he was referring to comments made by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) over the extension of unemployment benefits.

Sen. Kyl had said that unemployment insurance “doesn't create new jobs. In fact, if anything, continuing to pay people unemployment compensation is a disincentive for them to seek new work.”

When questioning the need for extending unemployment benefits, Rep. Heller had asked, “Is the government now creating hobos?”

Leader Reid’s office referred these stories to CNSNews.com.

Meanwhile, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building . . .

Heading up a Middle Class Task Force roundtable discussion on Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden said that one of the benefits of the $787 billion stimulus package signed into law in February is that it has generated new ideas for dealing with economic problems, including unemployment.

Biden said he and Melody Barnes, White House Domestic Policy Council director, have talked at length about ways to “generate new ideas about how to deal with future employment needs,” Biden said. “We have new ideas about how to spend government money wisely.”

He said that there was “virtually no fraud” associated with the spending so far of the billions allocated for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The government, according to recovery.gov, has distributed just over one half of the $787 billion.

“I might add, I’m very proud to say, that’s there’s been virtually no – knock on wood – virtually no fraud associated with the $787 billion program overall,” Biden said as he banged his fist on the table and against his head.

*******

“That’s what we’re attempting to turn around, as well as turn the economy we inherited around,” Biden said. “And I think we’re on our way to doing both of those.”

Biden said there was still “a long way to go” for the economy to be what the Obama administration and the American people want it to be, but that the Recovery Act is succeeding.

“There are certain facts that are undeniably clear,” Biden said. “The economy is growing again.

Biden said 500,000 jobs were created in the last two months, the first time that has happened since 2007.

“The truth of the matter is that the Recovery Act is working,” Biden said.

An invited audience watched the roundtable discussion, which took place in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. No one in the audience or members of the press was allowed to ask questions.

House Democrats have not introduced their final version of H.R. 4213 on the House floor.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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