Will Republicans succeed in turning minimum wage votes against Democrats?

NYT: Lawmakers to Use Recess to Blame the Other Guy
By CARL HULSE
Published: August 5, 2006

....“The Democrats have obstructed what heretofore had been their No. 1 issue,” said Mr. Frist, referring to the higher minimum wage, which stalled when Democrats would not accept pairing it with a Republican-sponsored reduction on taxes on multimillion-dollar estates and a package of other highly targeted tax cuts. “I would rather have won, but over the next four weeks we will see how it plays.”...Union leaders, who for years have been lobbying for a wage increase, sided with the Democrats in blocking the bill, accusing Republicans of naked opportunism in linking the $2.10-per-hour increase to a multibillion-dollar tax cut for some of the wealthiest families in the nation.

Republicans also made a strategic blunder when they included a provision that would have allowed employers in seven states to begin counting tips toward increases in the minimum wage, possibly lowering the pay of some workers. That provided an out for Democrats like Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, who was under pressure to vote for the bill but could instead point to potential lost income for workers in her state in opposing it.

Now it will be up to Republicans and the business community to try to blame Democrats for the collapse of the effort to raise the minimum wage. But neither Republicans nor the business community has much credibility when it comes to championing the wage increase, which most employers have opposed on the grounds that it would lead them to hire fewer workers.

That did not stop Republicans from going on the attack. The National Republican Senatorial Committee issued multiple news releases on Friday castigating Democrats in close election races for their votes against the minimum wage/estate tax/tax incentives bill, accusing them of putting partisanship before home-state interests.

And the first recess stop for Mr. Frist is the state of Washington, where he intends to take on Ms. Cantwell as opposing the measure despite its benefits for Washington....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/05/washington/05cong.html

Not unless they let the repubs turn it against them.

.. I think what the media does with it is important.

For example, the headline I read last night focused on the vote against the minimum wage,
not on the vote against rescinding the estate tax.

Further, the rightwing media pundits on all airwaves will probably spin it against Dems ....

However, if Dems ever get a real spine and a strong, united voice, they could turn it in their favor.

But will they? Or will it just be a lone Dem or two, like Ted Kennedy?

Sue

since the repukes are the ones who blatantly tied it to erasing the "Paris Hilton estate tax"-that's how I've heard it framed, and I think that is the way to frame it.

They had a minimum wage bill then attached the estate tax repeal knowing it would kill the minimum wage bill altogether.
This allows them to tell both the poor and the rich that "The Democrats blocked the bill that would help them"

I hope the poor see through this shit and don't fall for the lies.

We just need to keep pointing out this fact during the general elections.

clearly stated the reason why the bill was rejected and mentioned the estate tax. So I don't think it will be that easy for Republicans, AS LONG AS Democrats stay on top of it and don't let the Republicans alone talk about the vote.

as much as msm wants to call it the death tax, everyone knows what that is. People are paying attention more and more to where their money is going, especially when it benefits them less and less and leaves a defict that will eat away at their children and grandchildren.. that is if the the rapture doesn't happen first.

Never undderestimate the ignorance of the typical American voter.

Even though it had near unanimous consent in the Senate and House, Frist and Friends refused to bring the Breast Cancer & Environmental Research Act to the floor for a vote.

Backed by the NIH and Natl Institutes for Environmental Health Sciences, the BCERA would provide funds for grants to researchers to study what causes breast cancer and how to prevent it and other cancers.

For 6 long years, the GOP has been sitting on this bill, keeping it bottled up in committee, even thoug it has huge support in Congress and would pass immediately if allowed to go to the floor for a vote.

Remind them of THAT out on the campaign trail.

More tax cuts for the ultra-rich. That's been the Republican game plan since day one and it will never change.

But seriously, I think this should be a great opportunity for the Democrats, and not just from the heir-head angle. The brutal provisions in this bill against those who work for tips should be highlighted at every turn, to say nothing of the massive hypocrisy regarding "states' rights".

raise the minimum wage without giving away millions and millions to their rich friends. Democrats can come right out and say that if given control of Congress, they will raise the minimum wage, without giving away money to people who DON'T need it.

first, they attached it to the Paris Hilton tax cut and, secondly, had a provision that would have reduced wages for people who make tips. If the Democrats can't take advantage of that we need to start a new party from scratch.

voters are are happy it didn't pass!

No way can the repugs get any milage out it...But watch the repug clowns try...they have nothing else.

Even without the state tax thing -- don't even bother getting into the estate tax -- this minimum wage "increase" bill was a sham.

What it really looked to do was to wipe out the state's right to set a minimum wage. It attacked the minimum wage for workers who receive tips, and overrode state laws. That's right it took the power to set minimum wages for these workers away from the states.

In an economy where the service sector is the only one growing, it isn't that hard to rearrange things so more of your employees "take tips." This was the setup for a scam of monumental proportions.

change parties. She asked me if I was aware of what the Republicans tried to pull with the minimum wage bill. She said that was lousey to pull that on people who need that to live on and she added that she is discusted with them.