"Republican Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada has co-sponsored a bill to revive the emergency unemployment insurance program. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is pleased as punch that Heller is breaking with the “tea party folks” on the issue.
What’s Heller justification for taking the big government side and jacking up welfare spending? He says: “Providing a safety net for those in need is one of the most important functions of the federal government. As Nevada’s unemployment rate continues to top the charts nationwide, many families and individuals back home do not know how they are going to meet their basic needs.”
Perhaps Heller should spend more time with the “tea party folks.” They would direct him to this document to see whether handouts are indeed “one of the most important functions of the federal government.” And they would explain to him the concept of federalism: If Nevadans want larger UI benefits, their own legislature could provide them without having to loot the national treasury.
Yet Heller styles himself as a staunch fiscal conservative—a tea partier"...
