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« The End of Castro's Cuba? | Main | Israel wants to quit but the US won't let them? »

The Media Was Awake for at Least 10 Minutes

So, Republicans in the House have been refusing to approve a minimum wage hike for a while now. But the elections are coming up, so they needed to do something to cover their asses, especially since just a few months ago, they voted to give themselves a raise. Well, what they've done is lump the minimum wage increase into the same bill as the cut to estate tax. They figure the Democrats will have to go along with it in order to get the minimum wage increase thru, knowing the Dems also have their eye on November. This is not the noteworthy part. Despicable, yes. But hardly surprising. What's completely amazing is that the media nudged themselves awake long enough to actually report on it, in a non-Republican talking points way.

What does a $2.10 per hour increase in the minimum wage have to do with a $268 billion tax cut for the 8,200 wealthiest families in the U.S.? Not one thing.

The Republican House leadership yoked the two together last week as a political stunt. They've been pushing hard to make cuts in the estate tax permanent; they've just as vigorously been fighting any attempt to raise the minimum wage, which has been sitting at $5.15 an hour since 1997.

But last week, House leaders demonstrated that they want an estate tax cut more than they want to derail any minimum wage increase. By lumping the measures into one bill, they hope to convince a few Democratic senators who would otherwise oppose the estate tax cut to cross over and support their bill.

...

Some of the GOP leaders who brokered this deal insist that it is not blackmail but an honest compromise: Democrats get their minimum wage, and Republicans get their tax cut. But Tennessee Congressman Zach Wamp, R-Chattanooga, was characteristically more candid. He was quoted by The Washington Post as saying of Democrats last week, "I know why you're mad. You've seen us really outfox you."

Unfortunately, the 6.6 million people who rely on minimum wage don't have the luxury of seeing this issue as some kind of political game. Neither can the U.S. taxpayers, who will watch as the tax cut for the super-wealthy digs the U.S. deficit even further into the red.

I think one of them must have had their head propped up on their hand and their elbow slipped just at this critical moment. That's the only explanation for this article.

By min | August 1, 2006, 11:44 AM | Liberal Outrage


Comments

Has this been reported anywhere other than the Tennessean? Not exactly the NYTimes...

that's a tennessee news source that's not on the side of the Republicans. what more do you want from me? you want i should walk on water next?

MR Republicans.

MR Not

OSAR. CM corrupt liddle souls?

LIB
MR Republicans