Both times in fairly recent years federal minimum wage was increased with the cooperation of Republican leadership. In 1996, the Republican-controlled House under Newt Gingrich, the minimum wage was raised from $4.25 to $5.15 over a 2 year period. The next wage increase took place a decade later, in 2006-2007, when Democrats won back control of the House. They found support for the increase in then President, George W. Bush. This instance raised the minimum rate to its current level of $7.25 per hour.
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February 15, 2013
Economists Shoot-down Boehner’s Minimum Wage Claim
February 14, 2013
The Labored Myths of “Job-Killing” Regulations
With each new bit of regulation proposed a screeching chorus rises from industry pronouncing the dire consequences set to befall the country if even the slightest utterance of such rules are dared spoken. How many times have these warnings of cataclysm been heard? And how many times have they come to pass?
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October 23, 2012
Daily Scoop: Mitt will create 12 Million jobs in 1st Term…
Mitt Romney has touted his job creation prowes throughout the 3 presidential debates even providing us with a number, 12 MILLION new jobs during his first term. That’s great… that’s astounding! That would best even Obama’s 5.4 million new jobs over the last 2 years. But how will he accomplish this? Well, the answer is… NOTHING. In order to create 12 million new jobs within his first term Mitt Romney, President Mitt Romney will have to do nothing whatsoever… for the simple reason that those 12 million new jobs are ALREADY slated to be created under current Obama policies. As with foreign policy, all Mr. Romney has to do is continue with what has already been done under the Obama presidency.
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October 17, 2012
Armchair Debating Mitt Romney
The 2nd presidential debate last night was nothing if not exciting and tension filled. The Obama we knew from 2008 was back with fervor while Romney fought back hard to maintain his momentum and success from the first debate. There were several moments of clear disagreement or misunderstanding of the facts between the two candidates. Romney pressed the president on oil and gas permitting, the actual events surrounding the attack in Benghazi, budget deficits and immigration. The President, while much improved this time around, was unable to fully push back. So to play a bit of armchair debating and employ a healthy dose of 20/20 hindsight let’s revisit a few of these issues from last night.
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October 15, 2012
Obama’s Debate To Do List
Given the President’s disappointing performance during the first presidential debate and Mitt Romney’s approval bounce, it is quite clear that Obama needs to regain his focus. He needs to locate the master debater we witnessed in the 2008 campaign. But what is also clear is the President has to both challenge Romney on the multitude of his false claims and call him out over the Republican candidate’s continual flip-flopping.
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October 1, 2012
Why We Don’t Elect Republicans
Given the performance of the current Congress, what was observed during the George W. Bush years and the evolution of the 21st century GOP…
How wise is it to tempt the current crop of Republicans with the reigns of power?
September 17, 2012
Daily Scoop: Romney Dismisses 47% of US Voters as Gov. Dependents [video]
Secretly recorded fundraiser video captures Mitt Romney characterizing 47% of voters as dependent on the government who feel they themselves are victims who believe they are entitled to such things as basic health care.
On that 47%…. The Washington Post explains this misconception that a virtual majority pay no taxes.
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September 10, 2012
The Daily Scoop: GOP wish for Power vs Economic Recovery
Today we have two articles which delve into a disturbing possibility which has developed over the past 3 1/2 years. Has the Republican Party purposefully sabotaged the economic recovery from the Great Recession for no other reason but to regain power? It’s a tough question to answer definitively and is hard to believe all members of the party would subscribe to prioritizing the attainment of the presidency over the needs of average Americans amidst such an economic crisis. However, it’s just as difficult to dismiss such an accusation given the actions witnessed since the Obama presidency began. From the national GOP leaders inauguration evening adoption of a strategy to oppose everything put forth by the Administration to their subsequent, consistent opposition to middle class tax cuts, small business support legislation and anything stimulative in nature to record senatorial filibusters, the trend which has developed speaks volumes. It speaks to a coordinated effort to essentially disrupt economic recovery to ensure a Republican victory in 2012.
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September 6, 2012
Daily Scoop: Dems create more Jobs than Republicans
Last night at the Democratic National Convention during his Obama nomination speech, Bill Clinton stated, “”Since 1961 … our private economy produced 66 million private-sector jobs. So what’s the jobs score? Republicans 24 million, Democrats 42 million.”
Are Democratic presidents better than Republican presidents at job creation? Former President Bill Clinton said so — forcefully — in his speech to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.
“Since 1961, for 52 years now, the Republicans have held the White House 28 years, the Democrats 24,” Clinton said. “In those 52 years, our private economy produced 66 million private-sector jobs. So what’s the jobs score? Republicans 24 million, Democrats 42 million.” In the packed convention hall, it was one of the night’s biggest applause lines.
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September 4, 2012
Economy Worse Under Obama?
It’s been said before, many times in fact, but Senator Chuck Grassley’s recent reassertion that, “It [the economy] has gotten worse under Obama” continues to be a head scratcher for those with memories that span beyond the latest cable news cycle. The repetitious Republican talking point has indeed become fact for many who loyally follow the conservative platform yet for many others the drumbeat message eventually makes them ask themselves, “Has the economy really gotten worse under President Obama.”
The short answer is, “Yes,” but the the more insightful, pragmatic answer is, “No.” It’s confusing, I know, but bear with me while I hash out an explanation.
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