It is very bad news that unemployment in our country is around 9.8 percent. (Practically, "full employment" would be only about 5 percent.)

It is certainly bad that close to 15 million Americans need jobs at a time when only 3 million jobs will show up.

So it is good news for many that the Senate has voted -- 98-0 -- to extend unemployment benefits up to 20 more weeks for jobless people -- at a cost of about $24 billion!

We don't want anyone to suffer real privation. We need to do more of the things that encourage economic growth -- and quit doing so many of the things that depress our economy. It's not hard to define the bad things, but it is hard to do the right things.