Why not just pay for them?

President Barack Obama on Monday took to the bully pulpit to again rail against Republicans for playing politics with unemployment benefits.

Pot, meet kettle.

In a Rose Garden statement Monday morning, the president urged Republicans to jump on board and vote to extend the benefits. "It's time to do what's right, not for the next election, but for the middle class," Mr. Obama said.

The Senate is expected to take up the issue today. Under the plan, unemployment benefits would be extended to 99 weeks, up from the 26 weeks normally covered.

But don't blame the GOP if the effort fails once again.

In fact, Democrats, under the guidance of Majority Leader Harry Reid, believe they can make hay out of the issue in the November elections, which is why they refuse to accept the minor compromise that would have sealed the deal months ago. Instead they'd rather pass the bill without a single GOP vote so they can scatter back home this fall and blame heartless Republicans for the delay.

Who, exactly, is trying to use this issue in "the next election"?

Republicans have one small demand: Pay for the $34 billion extension rather than putting it on the national credit card.

"Everyone agrees on extending the additional unemployment insurance," said Don Stewart, spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, "but the Democrat way is to insist we add it to the national debt at the same time."

Why is this notion of paying for the extension even controversial on the left?

This country is trillions of dollars in debt. The annual deficit is estimated at $1.3 trillion. We can't afford to simply keep marching merrily toward insolvency by throwing around a billion here and a billion there as if there are no consequences. If extending unemployment benefits is a national priority, then Congress should make some tough choices and cover the costs by cutting spending somewhere else.

It's time to stop holding the poor and unemployed hostage to the penchant of Sen. Reid's Democrats to drive up the country's debt.

Pay for what you spend, Mr. Reid. This is one reason (among many) that Nevadans currently hold you in low esteem.