Well isn't that sweet?

Republicans killed the minimum wage hike today. No surprise there, but I was touched to learn that our friends on the right had the best interests of the poor in mind. Apparently, if you raise the minimum wage, businesses go out of business and/or have to lay people off. We wouldn't want Wal-Mart to go out of business and cause a whole new Great Depression now, would we? </sarcasm>

The Democrats' proposal would raise the minimum hourly wage from $5.15 to $7.25, phased in over 26 months. That amendment was defeated 49 to 46, with Republicans arguing that such a pay spike would stifle the economic recovery and limit the number of entry-level jobs that are available.

"When you raise the minimum wage, you price workers out of the market," said Senator John E. Sununu, a New Hampshire Republican.

"That's the economic reality."

I love when Senator Silver Spoon talks about economic reality. Actually, the economic reality is that the minimum wage is set too low and minimum wage doesn't cover the cost of child care. The economic reality is that minimum wages don't apply to businesses with revenues under $500,000 per year. Check out some economic reality showing how the minimum wage has been decimated by inflation. Note that the 1978 minimum wage would be $7.57 in 2004 dollars. Finally, the economic reality is that businesses can pay workers receiving tips far lower than the minimum wage. A modest increase in minimum wage simply doesn't affect at-risk businesses.

For what it's worth, few countries have lower wages than Bangladesh, and not raising the minimum and getting rid of the right to organize didn't help them. Our economy isn't at Bangladesh levels yet, but just give Dubya a few years.

I am glad to see Senators Sununu and Santorum having the best interests of the poor in mind. Since Republicans obviously believe in the free market, they also believe that people know what's best for themselves. So why not decide whether to raise the minimum wage based on a poll of minimum wage employees? </snark>

While we're on the topic of hypocrisy, let's note that a whole bunch of Republicans (who always favor states' rights) voted for the Santorum amendment, which eliminates the states' rights to raise the minimum wage of workers who receive tips. I'm convinced that the founding fathers had this kind of douchebaggery in mind when they wrote the 10th amendment.

Needless to say, four Republicans are to be commended for crossing the aisle and voted for the Democratic proposal. 41 out of 42 Democrats voted for the plan (the 42nd was absent. Anyone know who it was and why they missed it?) I'll post the names of the Republicans and the missing Democrat as soon as I find out who they are.

The day also brought the following quote from Senator Man-On-Dog.

"I would hope candidly that we didn't pass either of these at this time," said Santorum, chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, who nonetheless voted for his amendment.

That SOB has officially lost the ability to ever call anyone a flip-flopper again.

Ted Kennedy has been on a roll lately, check him out bashing the party previously committed to cutting red tape.

The Republican proposal was defeated 61 to 38. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the lead sponsor on the Democratic proposal, mocked the Republicans for needing an 85-page amendment to achieve an increase in the minimum wage.

"It takes one page to raise the minimum wage, and 84 pages are special-interest giveaways to take rights away from workers," said Kennedy. "This affects millions of workers that are going to get a real pay cut."