I wondered about this last night, and was going to do some checking on it today. Looks like Kevin Drum has done the heavy lifting for me…
THE MINIMUM WAGE TAP DANCE….One of George Bush’s lamest answers last night was his reponse to John Kerry’s charge that he opposed raising the minimum wage:
Actually, Mitch McConnell had a minimum-wage plan that I supported that would have increased the minimum wage.
My initial reaction was pretty simple: “Mitch McConnell is a Republican. You’re a Republican. The Republican party controls both the House and Senate. So if you supported McConnell’s bill, why didn’t it pass?”
The answer, of course, is that there was no such plan and no such bill.
Read the rest of the sorry story…As expected though, it’s just more smoke and mirrors from an increasingly desperate Administration.
http://www.inc.com/criticalnews...6/minwage.html
And I’ll quote from the article:
"Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is rumored to be backing a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $6.25 per hour"
Any chance on an update showing this?
If thats not enough, I can also quote other articles.
"Lobbyists say that Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is spearheading the GOP alternative bill on the minimum wage. It is unclear which industry sweeteners will be included in the measure. Sources familiar with the bill say those provisions are still being discussed." – http://www.hillnews.com/news/041404/wage.aspx
Or
"Republicans are developing separate legislation backed by Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, according to lobbyists. That bill, expected in the next several weeks, would increase the federal hourly minimum wage by $1.10 to $6.25 per hour. Though long opposed to raising the minimum wage, Republicans will use the bill to weigh in on the jobs debate in what will be a critical election in November. Political scientist Lou DiNatale, director of the Center for State and Local Policy at the University of Massachusetts, said the party is hoping to defuse Democrats’ contention that Republicans represent only the wealthy." – http://bostonworks.boston.com/g...304_wages.html
Finally,
"If the Senate votes on S. 2370 as an amendment, Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-KY) may offer an alternate minimum wage amendment. This amendment would:
• Increase the minimum wage by $1.10, to $6.25 over two years.
• Reach 3 million fewer people than S. 2370.
• Offer a small business tax package." – http://www.networklobby.org/iss...ivingwage.html
A quick google search Brad…come on, we ALL need to filter our information.
Um…good Googling there, Troll. But to answer your first question about whether I would issue an update to show the "rumor" of legislation coming after four years of a Republican White House, Senate and House, the answer would be no. The Kevin Drum article I pointed you towards, speaks to all that.
Your second item, pointing to a an article from June 13, 2004 talking about a "bill, expected in the next several weeks" would also not demonstrate much, since I’m pretty sure we’re now well past "several weeks" from June 13, 2004 and there is still no Minimum Wage legislation on the floor of the Republican controlled Senate and House. And I do not believe the White House has once called for their to be one (the way they called for, and received, a bill within days for CHANGING OUR CONSTITUTION to forbid Gay Marriage, for example).
Troll,
there are rumours of a lot of things. If the neandercons support raising the minimum wage WHICH THEY DONT then they could do it. There’s more than enough of them in both houses of congress. What’s the hold up? bUT MORE TO THE POINT, bUSH DIDNT SAY the KY senator was rumoroed to have a plan he said, he "had a plan". That should be easy to find. Please do so.
Bush supports raising the minimum wage like he supports the assault weapons ban.
I’m showed that there was a bill proposed by Mr. McConnell. Bush claimed he would support this. This goes along with Bush’s quote 100%.
"Actually, Mitch McConnell had a minimum-wage plan that I supported that would have increased the minimum wage."
The key word in here is PLAN. Just because someone wants to accomplish something doesn’t mean it won’t be done.
Brad – just because there was no legislation on it doesn’t mean Bush didn’t support it. Which again, doesn’t go against his quote. I still haven’t seen you updating this to show that Bush was being technically honest. A *plan* doesn’t equal a bill.
Jaime – I hope so. I’m 100% against raising the minimum wage or keeping the assault weapons ban. 🙂
Troll,
"just because there was no legislation on it doesn’t mean Bush didn’t support it."
Umm how could he support a bill that didnt exist? Look, he said he supported a plan. You have been asked to show its existence, not rumors of its existence. Show the plan.
I showed the "plan".
Just because there isn’t a bill that carried out that plan, it doesn’t mean the plan never existed and therefore doesn’t mean that Bush didn’t support it. Is that so hard to figure out? Its common sense that a plan – which i did show – doesn’t correlate to a bill.
Unfortunately you just don’t want to admit that Bush is right this time.
No, Troll, you didnt show the plan. Again, You showed a rumor. he may offer. Noplan was offered. What is so difficult about admitting this?