miguel.

For the second time in 10 days, the Senate on Thursday rejected Democratic efforts to take up a jobs bill championed by President Obama.

The vote to advance the bill was 50 to 50. Democrats needed 60 votes to overcome a Republican filibuster.

This time, the bill was narrowed to provide $35 billion to state and local governments to prevent layoffs of teachers, police officers and firefighters. To offset the cost, the bill would impose a surtax of 0.5 percent, starting in 2013, on income in excess of $1 million.

Despite the vote Thursday, Democrats said they hoped to gain a political edge, by forcing Republicans to vote on this and other discrete parts of broader legislation proposed by Mr. Obama to create jobs and revive the economy.

Campaigning for his $447 billion jobs package this week in North Carolina and Virginia, Mr. Obama suggested that Republicans could not understand the whole thing all at once, so he said “we’re going to chop it up into some bite-sized pieces.”

The Senate last week blocked consideration of the larger bill, which included a 5.6 percent surtax on income over $1 million.

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The New York Times, “Obama’s Jobs Plan Again Blocked by Senate Republicans.”

Just so we’re clear: Obama wants jobs.  Republicans don’t.  Also, Republicans don’t give a fuck, apparently, about cops, teachers, or firefighters.  Or the economy, we’d guess.  This is a good strategy!  See y’all in 2012.