WHAT DO DEMOCRATS LOVE MORE: benefits for the unemployed or Keynesian deficit spending (third item)?

Given the chance to keep 23-month unemployment benefits rolling by giving up $17 billion of stimulus spending, Democrats refused and spiked the legislation.

Republicans mostly oppose the idea of two-year benefits on the grounds that it has become substitute welfare and actually harms the job market by allowing people to stay out of work for so long, lose their skills and become essentially unemployable by anyone but the government.

But after getting a lot of scorching form Dems about being callous to the needs of the little man, some GOPers are willing to go along with another extension, but not if it’s all deficit spending. But Dems are so protective of their pork, they will not go for offsetting cuts or even allow any of the stimulus slush to be used.

Of course.