Democrats Defeat GOP's Sham Estate Tax/Minimum Wage Bill

On Monday, I blogged about a definite low for the Republican party as the elections approach... after years of stopping votes on a minimum wage increase, the Republicans attempted to undercut a key Democratic campaign by proposing a bill to raise the wage. The catch? The bill would also cut the estate tax and would override higher minimum wage increases passed in some states already. As hoped for/expected, the Democrats in the Senate killed the bill. From the NY Times-

Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked legislation tying the first minimum wage increase in almost a decade to a decrease in the federal estate tax, denying Republicans a legislative victory as lawmakers head into a crucial month of campaigning before the November elections.

Republican backers of the measure, dubbed the trifecta for its three chief elements, fell 4 votes short of the 60 needed to cut off debate. Democrats had argued that it was a bad bargain to exchange a $2.10 wage increase for struggling workers for a costly tax cut for the country’s wealthiest families.

“This trifecta is a high-stakes gamble with America’s future,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat. “This is the worst special-interest bill I have seen in my time in Congress.”...

The Washington Post has more.

While I am glad the Democrats stood on principle, this is hardly good news. It means that we will have to wait until January when the new Congress is sworn in (assuming the conventional wisdom that the Democrats will retake at least the House) before we get a real vote on a minimum wage increase.

Secondly, the Republicans already got what they wanted out of this charade... campaign ammo. As I noted on Monday, the Republicans planned to "use this against the Democrats either way. If the Democrats vote for it, they will say the Democrats flip-flopped on tax cuts. If the Democrats stand on principle and vote against this, they will say the Democrats aren't serious about the minimum wage increase." Now that the latter has happened, these GOP talking points are already in circulation (see for example the comment by 'John S' at TruthDig). Expert to hear all the usual pundits blathering about how Democrats don't really care about the minimum wage, and how the Republicans are the true working class heroes, in the coming months.

Based on what polls show how the American people are feeling these days (and with Democrats finally dusting off their spines as November approaches), I am not as worried as I once might have been that these tricks will work this time around.

People are getting smarter. And madder. November 7 is National Throw The Bums Out Day.

[Related- Washington Post (E. J. Dionne Jr.): The End Of the Right?]