Wall Street just got a big raise, now how about Main Street?
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Thursday that after witnessing Wall Street reach all-time highs this week, it’s time to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.
“This week, we saw something quite remarkable, the stock market soaring to record heights. At the same time, we see productivity keeping pace,” Pelosi said during a Thursday briefing at the Capitol, according to The Hill. “But we don’t see income for America’s middle class rising. In fact, it’s been about the same as since the end of the Clinton years.”
Pelosi’s proposal overshoots a similar one by President Barack Obama, who suggested raising the minimum wage to $9 an hour from the current rate of $7.25, which translates to just $15,080 a year for a full-time employee.
A House Democratic aide told Raw Story that Pelosi asked for more than Obama did because she wants to see working people receive a livable wage, not just a small raise. “The economy is recovering, corporate profits are rising, but wages for lower-income folks are stagnating,” the aide said. “So there’s a strong case to be made for a wage that will help people raise families.”
“If we are going to honor our commitment to the middle class, we have to reflect that intention in our public policy,” Pelosi told reporters.
While Pelosi’s $10.10 is better than the President’s $9.00 minimum wage, it’s still a little bit short of where it should be. Had the minimum wage kept pace with inflation over the years, it would be at $10.59. A living wage would be great. A fair wage would be even better.
“Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. George Miller (D-CA) said Tuesday they are proposing legislation to raise the minimum wage and peg it to the rate of inflation, which they say would better ensure working class Americans don’t fall behind the curb as corporate and Wall Street keep the lion’s share of profits for themselves,” the report tells us.
In an interview with me, Nancy Pelosi summed up the message Dems used against Republicans in 2006, and will again use in 2014: ‘Just keep it simple. We want to raise the minimum wage, and you don’t. Why not?’
Pelosi Backs Including Marriage Equality in Party Platform
In what is being hailed as a landmark moment, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) has officially said that she supports adding a call for full marriage equality to the 2012 Democratic Party platform.
(via underthemountainbunker)
Pelosi to release Gingrich info ‘when the time is right.’
There’s no better illustration of how ecstatic Democrats are about Newt Gingrich leading the GOP primary pack than Nancy Pelosi’s strategic silence.
Pelosi knows more about Gingrich than perhaps any other major national political figure. She was a senior Democrat when Gingrich was House Speaker, served on the ethics committee that investigated Gingrich for tax cheating and campaign finance violations, and even cut a 2008 ad with him on the importance of addressing global climate change.
But when TPM asked her to talk a bit about his recent ascent and the possibility that he’ll be the GOP nominee, she mostly demurred.
“I like Barney Frank’s quote the best, where he said ‘I never thought I’d live such a good life that I would see Newt Gingrich be the nominee of the Republican party,’” Pelosi said in an exclusive interview Friday. “That quote I think spoke for a lot of us.”
“One of these days we’ll have a conversation about Newt Gingrich,” Pelosi said. “I know a lot about him. I served on the investigative committee that investigated him, four of us locked in a room in an undisclosed location for a year. A thousand pages of his stuff.”
When asked for details, she urged patience.
“Not right here,” she said. “When the time is right.”
For his part, Newton says he’s not a’scared of Nancy.
“I want to thank Speaker Pelosi for what I regard as an early Christmas gift,” Gingrich said. “That is a fundamental violation of the rules of the House.”
“Eighty-three charges were repudiated as false,” he said, adding, “the one mistake was a letter by a lawyer I didn’t read carefully.”
Of course, Gingrich’s memory of the investigation is a little rose-colored. Newt resigned as speaker in disgrace — but not before receiving a House reprimand and an order to pay a $300,000 fine.
Stories to Watch: 8/4/11
Had to reinstall Chrome today. I don’t want to talk about it. Now here’s the news…
World markets are just super-enthusiastic about the debt limit deal. And by “super-enthusiastic,” I mean panic-stricken. Among the problems; “A fear haunting markets is that the United States economy may be heading for a double-dip recession,” the NYTreports. Yay for fiscal responsibility!
Paul Krugman to everyone: “I told you so.”
Mittens Romney signs a “I hate marriage equality!” pledge. No real surprise here, but worth mentioning. Apparently, the road to the GOP nomination is paved with a bunch of promises to let someone else govern.
Nancy Pelosi states the obvious — that Republicans don’t care squat about deficits, they just want to destroy government. Needless to say, this is the worst thing ever.
The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. And sicker.
For some reason, top birther nutbag Joseph Farah wants to “sit on Obama’s birthday cake.” I guess that’s probably because he’s insane.
Finally, Americans agree; the US congress really, really, really, really sucks. I mean historic low, 14% approval sucks [pdf].
Stories to Watch: 8/2/11
Burgers tonight — inside, in a skillet, because there’s no way you can imagine what it’s like out there now. It’s a freaking sauna. And it looks like rain. Now here’s the news…
Biden’s alleged “terrorists” comment brings down an avalanche of victim cards. Remember it the next time one of these clowns calls a Democrat a Marxist.
Tiny pinhole of sunlight in the debt limit deal: Nancy Pelosi gets to appoint the House dems on the “super-committee” and she saysshe’s not appointing anyone who’ll allow cuts in entitlement benefits.
The Economic Policy Institute has issued a report finding that the debt limit deal will cost 1.8 million jobs in 2012. And, now that the debt ceiling stupidity is behind them, Democrats think it’s time to focus on jobs. Too late, guys. Too late.
Joe Lieberman is insane.
Returning to yesterday’s theme, the stock market hates the debt limit deal.
The Republican commitment to America can only go so far. Asking that their fundraising doodads be American-made is apparently too far.
Hate-porn writer Pam Geller’s new book is eerily similar to Anders Breivik’s crazy-assed manifesto.
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow isn’t going anywhere any time soon. The network extended her contract until 2014.
Finally, Rick Santorum is Glenn-Beck-level crazy.
Stories to Watch: 6/6/11
Went to a street fair yesterday and got a bit of sun. You can probably read in the dark from red glow put off by my forearms. Had a lot of fun though. Now here’s the news…
Anthony Weiner comes clean; the photo is him, he sent it and, no, he will not resign — although, I doubt anyone on the left will ask him to.
Although Nancy Pelosi is calling for an ethics investigation.
The right wing is trying to (literally) rewrite history to cover Sarah Palin’s ass. People who know what they’re talking about aren’t buying it. He didn’t warn the British, he didn’t ring any bells. What little Palin got right about the story seems to be a matter of luck. Be glad she didn’t get mixed up and say that Revere the silversmith was a “silverfish.”
The Wisconsin Supreme Court takes up Gov. Walker’s union-busting bill. At issue, violation of Wisconsin’s open meetings law. I’ll point out, as I always do, that Republicans could get around this easily by rescheduling a vote and passing the thing the right way. I’ll also point out that the fact that they aren’t suggests (extremely strongly) that the votes are no longer there.
And as long as Republicans are going down in recall elections, Wisconsin Democrats figure they might as well take Paul Ryan down with them.
As Minnesotans prepare to vote on an amendment banning same sex marriage, 70 ministers in that state vow to perform those marriages anyway. First amendment fight on the way?
Finally, Home Depot to the American Family Association: screw off.
John Boehner (Almost) Creates One Job
Republicans have their eye on jobs. Jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs. You know this because they keep saying it. Which is good, because if they didn’t keep saying it, you’d never know. Apparently, creating jobs comes after firing everyone at NPR and Planned Parenthood on the big list of GOP priorities. And beginning to privatize Medicare in 2012. So 2013, I guess, after the elections. That’s when Republicans plan to work on getting people jobs.
One person who won’t have to wait to get a new job is a former Bushie, who Speaker Boehner thinks employing right now is the most important thing ever.
ThinkProgress:Earlier today, Speaker John Boehner’s (R) office announced that American taxpayers would pay former Bush Solicitor General Paul Clement to defend the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. Clement, a former law clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia, is widely viewed as one of nation’s leading appellate attorneys. He is also one of the most expensive…
Clement is on track to make $5 million a year, the report tells us, so this guy’s not going to come cheap. But congratulations Speaker Boehner, you’re now on track to create one job. That is, if we’re generous. The guy already has a job, but you’re still throwing work his way.
See, back in February, President Obama announced that his administration wouldn’t defend the Defense Of Marriage Act — which bars the federal government from recognizing same sex unions — because he believed the law was unconstitutional. Republicans, who’d been making a lot of noise about states’ rights and the Tenth Amendment, decided this was the worst thing ever. Apparently, Republicans feel the same way about states’ right as they do about all their other of their basic, core beliefs — they’re for them until they’re not. State governments can bust up unions and deny their citizens healthcare, they can outlaw abortion and decree that brown people show their papers on demand, but if two men or two women want to get married, then states’ rights go out the window — who needs them? Apparently, states only have the right to oppress their citizens. If state governments start expanding freedom and recognizing new rights… Well, clearly something must be done.
And Boehner, being newly concerned about deficit spending, has a plan to both pay for this big-money lawyer and punish the administration for recognizing the Tenth Amendment.
The Hill:
Speaker John Boehner asked House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi’s for her support to cut funds for the Department of Justice and use them to defend the Defense of Marriage Act.
In a letter sent to Pelosi (D-Calif.) Monday, Boehner (R-Ohio) wrote that the funds Justice would have used to protect the law should be used by the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) to protect the act.
“The burden of defending DOMA, and the resulting costs associated with any litigation that would have otherwise been born by DoJ, has fallen to the House,” Boehner wrote. “Obviously, DoJ’s decision results in DoJ no longer needing the funds it would have otherwise expended defending the constitutionality of DOMA. It is my intent that those funds be diverted to the House for reimbursement of any costs incurred by and associated with the House, and not DoJ, defending DOMA.”
Justice won’t be defending DOMA, because that’s a waste of time, which means they won’t need the money for other things which aren’t a waste of time — like, you know, fighting terrorism and stuff. Can you imagine how the right would’ve reacted to Pelosi wanting to cut funding for the DoJ under Bush? “Siding with terrorists!” would’ve been the phrase of the month.
And is Boehner defending the will of the people, who don’t want same sex couples marrying their sweethearts? Not if you ask the people. The last poll on the issue — taken almost a month ago to the day — found that a clear majority (53%) supports marriage equality, while only 44% oppose. This is a trend toward marriage equality that’s been going on for some time. It’s not going to turn around. So Speaker Boehner wants to cut funding from federal law enforcement to pay for a big-money lawyer, who’ll then defend a law that most people don’t want.
At least he can say he created a job with a straight face. Well, almost anyway…
-Wisco
Stories to Watch: 2/18/11
I’m in Madison, which seems like the center of the universe right now. It’s not, it just feels that way. Just sayin’. Now here’s the news…
Massive, sustained protests in Wisconsin have the corporate right running scared. Tens of thousands descend on the capitol day after day and something simply must be done. The rabble cannot be allowed to challenge the elite.
So it’s wingnuts to the rescue. Andy Breitbart and a few other rightwing nutjobs are putting together a counter-protest tomorrow and it’s looking less than impressive. An “I Stand with Scott Walker” Facebook page promises 1,774 attending, as of this writing, and that’s the result of optimism. In contrast, the pro-union folks have been averaging about 25-30,000 daily.
Here’s the thing though. If I know anything about Andy Breitbart, he’s not going to be here to make a show of strength, but to try to make the union folks look bad. This means we’ll probably be looking at a few hundred assholes trying to pick a fight. My advice; when they make some jerkass comment or give you a little shove, go ahead and laugh at their pathetic numbers and let it go at that. It’s going to be the first weekend protest, so expect the pro-union numbers to be even bigger. We’ll have nothing to prove, so don’t let Breitbart’s agent provocateurs get under your skin.
Other stuff hapenned too. For example, House Republicans voted to shut down Planned Parenthood, because that’s going to create jobs or something. If you’re a woman and you voted Republican, enjoy a smoke, because you just screwed yourself.
Nancy Pelosi says a government shutdown is probably in the works.
Democratic Senator Jeff Bingaman to retire.
Middle eastern autocrats launch a violent crack down on protesters.
Finally, Joe Klein writes one surprisingly idiotic piece on Wisconsin.
News Roundup for 1/25/11
Would it surprise you to learn this guy’s a dick?
-Headline of the day-
“Rep. Peter King: ‘80 Percent Of Mosques In This Country Are Controlled By Radical Imams’.”
GOP Rep. Peter King of New York went on the Laura Ingraham Show, reached into his pants, and pulled a completely made-up statistic out of his butt. This being talk radio — and, specifically, Ingraham’s radio show — such behavior is encouraged.
Asked how many mosques in America were “infected” with “radical jihad sentiment,” Petey answered that “over 80 percent of mosques in this country are controlled by radical Imams.”
His source for this claim? I mentioned it already. It was his ass. According to the report, “For his part, King has said he is willing to be called a ‘bigot’ if that’s what it takes to continue his witchhunt into Muslim American communities.”
Mission accomplished there, Pete. You’re a bigot.
Now, how do you feel about being called an asshole? (Think Progress)
-Too easy…-
Jon Stewart catches Fox’s Megyn Kelly claiming that no one on her network ever compares anyone to Nazis.
Bonus fun: go back in time to May of last year, when The Daily Show commentator Lewis Black said that Glenn Beck had “Nazi Tourette’s.”
Fox is like what the History Channel used to be: 24/7 Nazis. (Comedy Central)
-Bonus HotD-
“Cantor invites Pelosi to sit together at SOTU.”
Nancy said no, she already has a date to the big congress prom with another nice Republican fella. He bought her a corsage and everything.
Nancy Pelosi; finally one of the popular girls. (MSNBC)
