For many months, I have argued that the greatest crisis we face is the lack of good-paying jobs–not the deficit. Unfortunately, the conventional wisdom took hold in Washington and stymied the president from taking the action that was needed during the debate over the stimulus bill, which came in at $787 billion–and too small by at least half-a-trillion dollars, in my opinion.

   Yesterday, there was more proof that we should have–and must act–much more decisively on jobs:

Economists fear that the nascent recovery will leave more people behind than in past recessions, failing to create jobs in sufficient numbers to absorb the record-setting ranks of the long-term unemployed.

Call them the new poor: people long accustomed to the comforts of middle-class life who are now relying on public assistance for the first time in their lives — potentially for years to come.

Yet the social safety net is already showing severe strains. Roughly 2.7 million jobless people will lose their unemployment check before the end of April unless Congress approves the Obama administration’s proposal to extend the payments, according to the Labor Department.

  And so what is now surfacing? A $15-billion jobs bill. Why do politicians wonder why people are angry at incumbents of both parties?