Senate to the unemployed: Go to Hell

Dear Unemployed Friends,

When you're firing up those barbecue grills this Independence Day weekend, be sure to turn the flame up high in honor of the U.S. Senate, which went on a week-long holiday break without extending jobless benefits to those who have been laid off. Thanks to the senators' desire to get out of Dodge City and start their vacations early, the more than 1.3 million laid-off workers who have lost their benefits thus far will be joined by another 400,000 by the end of the week -- bringing the anticipated total to 3 million people cut off from their financial life support by the end of this month. Somebody, please pass the ketchup.

The House voted underwhelmingly 270-153 to extend unemployment benefits, but the Senate successfully filibustered the measure before adjourning for vacation.

Oddly enough, relief may come from the grave. West Virginia Democratic Sen. Robert C. Byrd's passing, at age 92 on Monday, has left his seat open to an appointment by Gov. Joe Manchin, a Democrat. We'd like Manchin to hurry up, no disrespect intended toward the old guy who filibustered against the 1964 Civil Rights Act and supported the Vietnam War, but later backed civil rights measures and criticized the Iraq War. Who ever said life wasn't complicated?