Democrats Oppose Minimum Wage Bill

The Democrats once again prove that they hate the rich (themselves, actually) more than they want to help their supposed constituents:

Republicans needed 60 votes to advance their bill, which links a $2.10 increase in the $5.15 federal minimum wage over three years to reductions an estate taxes next decade. The bill got a 56-42 vote, four votes short of succeeding. The House passed it last Saturday.

For Republicans, the combination could have neutralized a Democratic campaign issue while also advancing an estate tax cut, a priority that may have an uncertain future if the GOP loses seats in Congress in November's election.

The GOP strategy put Democrats in an uncomfortable position. Either they could vote against the bill -— thus rejecting a minimum wage increase - or they could vote for it - thus agreeing to cut taxes on multimillion-dollar estates. Most rejected the bill, blocking a GOP victory months before the election.

The vote would have been 57-41, but Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., switched his vote in a maneuver preserving his right to debate the bill again this fall. He urged senators who voted against it to "rethink long and hard" before lawmakers reconvene in September.

Four Democrats joined Republicans and voted for the bill: Sens. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Bill Nelson of Florida and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas. Two Republicans voted against the bill: Sens. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and George Voinovich of Ohio.

Robert Byrd, is he standing on principal or is it because he's running for re-election?

And then there's this:

"The American people won't fall for it," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Do you think that Americans care about your little political games? Do you think they really care if the rich get a tax break while they get more money too? No, they don't care. They just want you to get the job done, not obstruct what they consider useful legislation.

Read the rest here.

Updated to add this:

But Democrats expressed confidence that voters will see the package as a cynical effort to help wealthy GOP supporters by making the estate tax cut the price for a wage increase that the nation's lowest-paid workers deserve.

I don't think that the public cares what are the motives of the Republicans, they just want the job done. In fall the Democrats won't have an uncluttered message of being for minimum wages because it now comes with baggage. They could have passed the bill but choose not to since they are just obstructionists. They don't want solutions, they just want problems. Maybe voters will think this is a cynical attempt to keep an issue on the table. Hmmmmm? Maybe, Washington Post, it's not just the Republicans who have an agenda, hmmmmm? Why don't you point that out. Maybe to be fair and balanced you might want to start reporting the cynical agenda of the Democrats the way you point out the cynical agenda of the Republicans.

And then there's this:

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said all three elements of the bill could have survived simple-majority votes had they been allowed, and he accused the Democrats of being obstructionists. "How can we have bipartisanship in the Congress if Democrats won't take 'yes' for an answer?" he asked.

I think most Americans see the unfairness in this tax, it's a double taxation. The people are taxed when they make the money and then that same money is taxed again. That's just not right.