It really is strange, how politicians seem to have complete amnesia about the still-unemployed people whose benefits already ran out. It's as if they're convinced there was a three-month period there where the economy was in overdrive and we all went out and found jobs. We didn't:

The American 99ers Union, a group of 19 organizations representing the unemployed and underemployed, has launched a new campaign to draw attention to the plight of more than 5 million 99ers who exhausted their unemployment insurance payments and the millions more who may join them by the end of the year.

Beginning today, members of the American 99ers Union will be in Washington to hand-deliver a prepared letter to all U.S. senators. The union is also asking those who support the cause to fax the prepared letter to their senators as well.

The letter emphasizes the need for unemployment extensions for ALL the unemployed. ... It matters not if this critical legislation is accomplished via S.3706 The America Wants to Work Act, as an addendum to the extension of dates set to expire on November 30th, a modification of one of the existing tiers, or a compromise that would include tax cuts for the top 2% to remain in place. It just needs to be done ASAP. The American 99ers Union is urging this lifeline be restored for the unemployed to find their way back to the American Dream and find employment once again.

The lame duck Congress is expected to vote for an extension of federal unemployment benefits before the program expires at the end of the month.

Rather, the extension would simply allow those who have been laid off more recently to collect unemployment for the same number of weeks as those laid off earlier in the recession.

They kicked off the campaign with a demonstration in NYC on Friday.