Democrats Seize on Minimum Wage as a Campaign Issue

[TomCADem]

Source: NY Times

More than 20 years ago, congressional Democrats pushed for an increase in the minimum wage, only to have the first President Bush veto the legislation. There were fights over the minimum wage again during Bill Clinton’s presidency, and more battles under George W. Bush.

Now, Democrats are once again hoping to revive the minimum wage — currently at $7.25 per hour — as a campaign-year issue that some strategists believe could help cast Republicans as out of touch during tough economic times.

Spurred by comments from several Republican candidates, Democrats and their allies are attempting to convince voters that the entire Republican party wants to lower or abolish the minimum wage.

“All of those candidates are saying do away with the minimum wage, do away with regulations and they are getting massive amounts of money from the Republican party, so you have to say that the Republican party agrees with those,” said Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO in a conversation with reporters Tuesday.



Read more: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/democrats-seize-on-minimum-wage-as-a-campaign-issue/

[Mnpaul]

1. They might as well

The Republican candidate for Gov. in Mn has been getting pummeled over it for months now.

[zogofzorkon]

2. From the stand on teachers and the praise of two tier GM union wages I

was expecting them to come out in favor of all labor receiving minimum wage.

[TomCADem]

3. WTF? Attacking Democrats On DU? Giving Republicans A Free Pass?

Republicans are trying to lower the minimum wage, and you are suggesting that you are "expecting to come out in favor of all labor receiving minimum wage."

Do you have any evidence to back up this claim?

[zogofzorkon]

6. I wasn't attacking anything or anyone

It was actually expressing my surprise that the article was about the Democratic Party pushing for in increase in the federal minimum wage. In light of the health insurance bill PO fold, the praise of lower starting salaries at GM for union workers doing the same job as good for job recovery, and the call for a new education system it was not what I was expecting.

As for giving a free pass to the pub/t baggers where did you find that in what I wrote.

[Brother Buzz]

4. RNC Chairman, Michael Steele, doesn't even know the minimum wage

Still, Michael Steele is a hip cat, you dig?

[Downwinder]

5. About time. In buying power now it is about 50% of what it was in 1960. n/t

[Arctic Dave]

7. They should be hammering the repugs on this and the tip credit.

Tip credit allows companies to pay their employees less then minimum wage if they makes tips. THATS FUCKING OUTRAGEOUS!!!