{"id":275219,"date":"2010-02-04T06:00:03","date_gmt":"2010-02-04T11:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/washingtonindependent.com\/?p=75733"},"modified":"2010-02-04T06:00:03","modified_gmt":"2010-02-04T11:00:03","slug":"the-democrats%e2%80%99-jobs-pickle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/275219","title":{"rendered":"The Democrats\u2019 Jobs Pickle"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Presiden<\/a><\/p>\n

Presiden Obama meets with members of the Blue Dog coalition (UPPA\/ZUMApress.com)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

With unemployment<\/a> in double digits and no relief in sight, swift passage of the Democrats\u2019 \u201cjobs agenda\u201d — set to be unveiled today in the Senate — might seem like a sure thing.<\/p>\n

Well, not quite.<\/p>\n

Not only are Senate Republicans balking at early proposals to cover the substantial costs, but moderate Democrats in both chambers — spooked by Republican Scott Brown\u2019s astonishing Senate win<\/a> in Massachusetts last month — have grown wary of big spending bills, fearing that support for such measures could haunt them on the campaign trail this year. As a result, Democrats are under pressure to scale down their jobs bills at the same time leading economists warn that the severity of the unemployment crisis demands a much larger package. The saga has left party leaders in a familiar pickle: They need to boost short-term spending to create jobs, but to do it they need the backing of fiscal conservatives — notably the House Blue Dogs — who are already apprehensive about enormous deficits. The Democrats, despite their commanding majorities, are learning the hard way that it\u2019s no easy needle to thread.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Image by: Matt Mahurin<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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