President Obama used his weekly address to urge Congress to extend unemployment benefits, pointing out that 1.3 million of the long term unemployed will lose their benefits 3 days after Christmas. The Hill: "If Members of Congress don't act before they leave on their vacations, 1.3 million Americans will lose this lifeline," he said in the White House weekly address. "They're our friends and neighbors; they sit next to us in church and volunteer in our communities; their kids play with our kids. And they include 20,000 veterans who've served this country with honor," he continued. The president's statement comes as the White House said Friday it wouldn't insist on including jobless benefits in the emerging budget deal.  "The vehicle that they use to do that is less important than the fact that they do it," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also said Thursday it wouldn't necessarily have to be inserted into the deal that...(Read Full Post)