Let Justice Roll

More Troops: National Guard to Iraq; Under Fire: Gonzales Fights for Job; War on the Middle Class
CNN, "Lou Dobbs Tonight," 4/6/07

EXCERPT:

Turning to the war on the middle class, Democrats received a lot of political mileage last fall with their promise to raise the federal minimum wage. So where is that pay raise?

As Christine Romans reports, it's stuck, where else, in the middle of partisan politics.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Three thousand five hundred and four days now since America's working poor had a pay raise. After all those promises for quick action...

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: We're going to raise it and raise it and raise it and raise it...

ROMANS: ... America's minimum wage workers are still earning just $5.15 an hour. The House and Senate each approved bills raising the federal minimum to $7.25. REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: The bill is passed.

ROMANS: But two months later, the raise is stalled over the size and scope of tax breaks for business. And the debate has now moved on to Iraq.

KATY HEINS, LET JUSTICE ROLL: I think people did have a lot of hope, and I think that's why it's so disheartening that it's been bogged down. People feel a little bit -- a little bit angry, a little hopeless, and a little bit cynical of what happens in Washington.

ROMANS: But this is how Washington works.

BRUCE OPPENHEIMER, VANDERBILT UNIV.: The congressional process is not a fast process most of the time. It is slow. It is pulling and hauling and tugging. It is sweaty, and it doesn't happen with a magic wand.

ROMANS: There's nothing magic about struggling to live on less than $11,000 a year.

HEINS: It's a huge amount of money to get $50 in your check a week that will get you on the bus and get you to work on time.

ROMANS: While America's working poor have waited 10 years, Congress has raised its own pay by almost $35,000.

(on camera): And now, while America works, Congress is on vacation, with its promises of a higher minimum wage stuck in back- room deals. It's coming, we're told. Just not any time soon.

Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PILGRIM: Well, many states aren't waiting for Congress to act. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have adopted a minimum wage above the federal rate.

That brings us to the subject of tonight's poll.

Do you believe that Congress is putting political interests ahead of our nation's working men and women by failing to enact a higher federal minimum wage?

Vote yes or no, cast your vote at loudobbs.com. And we'll bring you the results a little bit later in the broadcast.

EXCERPT:

And still ahead, our poll results. We'll also see how many of you think Congress is putting political interests ahead of our nation's working men and women. Stay with us.

PILGRIM: Now the results of tonight's poll: 95 percent of you believe Congress is putting political interests ahead of our nation's working men and women by failing to enact a higher federal minimum wage.

Minimum wage poll voting and results at http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/.
Also see this longer term link:

War on the Middle Class
For a list of companies across the country supporting a raise in the minimum wage for their workers, see the following link:

• http://www.businessforafairminimumwage.org/signatories

###