Like Illinois' own Sen. Dick Durbin, the Sun-Times editorial board is appalled that U.S. Senate Republicans -- defenders of wasteful tax breaks for the wealthy -- won't extend the filing deadline on unemployment benefits because of misguided deficit concerns.

Millions of Americans are unemployed through no fault of their own during the worst economic times in generations. All they're looking for is for a little more help in weathering the storm -- something for the groceries and the mortgage.

Meanwhile the GOP, while stiff-arming ordinary Americans, runs to the defense of the wealthiest Americans and -- for that matter -- an international oil company responsible for destroying the economy and environment of the Gulf.

Read the full piece here.

UPDATE (1:33 p.m.): After a more robust jobs bill crashed and burned in the U.S. Senate last week, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) has introduced a standalone piece of legislation to extend the filing deadline for emergency unemployment benefits. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has signaled that she might move in this direction, as well.