Scandal v. Phony Scandal

If you want to read two very different views of the world I live in, it seems there would be no better example than what is happening with the Benghazi story in the media. While Republicans scoff at the idea that Benghazi is a phony scandal, over on the Rachel Maddow blog, the Democrats scoff at the idea that Benghazi is a scandal at all.

And when I read the following paragraph from Steve Benen, I admit I thought, "Wow, he's right" before correcting myself and thought "Wow, he's left."

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But what should arguably matter most to the public is the fact that House Republicans have decided witch hunts and scandal mongering based on nothing is preferable to governing. In Americans’ name and on Americans’ dime, GOP lawmakers have decided they won’t pass immigration reform, won’t come up with a health care plan, won’t consider a credible jobs bill, won’t raise the minimum wage, won’t consider background checks, won’t touch pay equity, won’t vote on ENDA, won’t create infrastructure jobs, and won’t extend unemployment benefits.

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Look at that list:

1. immigration reform
2. health care plan
3. jobs bill
4. minimum wage
5. background checks
6. pay equity
7. ENDA (Note: I need to learn what this stands for)
8. infrastructure jobs
9. unemployment benefits

That's a pretty big list that Democrats can take with them in the mid-terms. The other side of the equation, though, is 

1. Republicans don't support telling all of the illegal immigrants already here, "Okay, we forgive you. You are no longer a fugitive because we are making you an American citizen." 
2. Republicans offered amendments to ObamaCare, but all of them as in 100% of them were rejected. 
3. The jobs bill? How is funding a jobs bill by adding to the deficit a good idea? 
4. How is raising the minimum wage and passing that increase to businesses a good idea? Where does the extra money a business must pay out in a salary? It comes from higher prices for the consumer.
5. Not sure about background checks.
6. In the debate about pay equity, I didn't hear where the proposed legislation was different than the laws already on the books. 
7. Not sure about EDNA
8. Not sure about infrastructure jobs. 
9. As far as unemployment benefits, I think that if you are not able to find a job, life sucks. I was there just over 3 years ago. It totally is an ugly situation and, thankfully, I don't think I will ever have to return to that. I was actively looking for a job when I was getting unemployment benefits. I worked my contacts, I prayed, and I made finding a job "my job." It was never an option for me to "live" on unemployment and for people like me that are motivated to find a job, I think unemployment benefits are awesome. If someone, though, is receiving unemployment for more than a year and not actively seeking a job, I think that is wrong and I also think Democrats would agree with that as well.