No one is fooled by Congress' games.

We know that President Barack Obama is eager to sign off on continuing the Social Security payroll tax reduction. It's an election year; allowing American workers to keep around $80 a month instead of taking it for the feds might earn him a vote or two.

Ditto the Congress, particularly congressional Democrats. Although some Republicans, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski who isn't up for re-election for four years, voted for continuing the tax reduction. Murkowski's motives differ from many Democrats and other Congress members looking at a 2012 election.

"I reluctantly voted to extend the temporary payroll tax cut for the rest of the year, but I did because it means about $1,000 a year on average — and will continue to help Alaskans fill their tanks and heat their homes," says Murkowski. "This provision was always meant to be temporary, but with the economy still struggling and millions of Americans working to make ends meet, now is not the time to make the hill they climb steeper."

The tax reduction affects 160 million working Americans, who work to support those who aren't working. In the measure providing the tax reduction, unemployment benefits are renewed for millions of Americans who haven't had a paycheck in six months.

It is difficult to tell the unemployed to get a job when they can't find one. But there are some who scam the government by applying for jobs they aren't qualified for in order to be rejected and continue to receive benefits. There are those who don't want to work when they can get a government check.

Of course, there are many others who want to work, and the government has created an environment non-friendly to industry that discourages businesses from opening or expanding in this country.

Most Americans want jobs more than election-year tax reductions. They'll take the reduction because they don't want to pay as much in tax as they do, and their expenses are rising with the price of oil and other things. But the reduction isn't likely to significantly affect November votes.

Voters see what the tax reduction is blatantly aimed at. Our votes aren't for sale.