I said it…no I said it…no I said it first!! PRESIDENT BUSH, SHES TAKING ALL THE CREDIT!! THAT WAS MY IDEA!!

Hey little children, lets leave the big boys to lead the most powerful country in the world. The hair pulling and name calling can stay in the senate.

Link the minimum wage to congressional pay raises?

Sounds awfully nice and convenient for Congress. How about we link the minimum wage to a more sensible benchmark, and then link Congressional pay to public opinion of how well Congress is doing the jobs we elected them to?

Dang Edwards you can get bills introduced without even being in the Senate.

Nice work! I'm truly impressed.

I love Edwards and will probably vote for him, but Hillary is just brilliant. It be worth electing her just to se the right wingers heads spin around and around on their shoulders simultaneously, hope Rush is doing his "ditto" cam, or whatever he calls it, at that time.

COMMUNISTS!

Hillary Clinton and John Edwards are talking about minimum wage. Are they going to support the small business owners? They have no clue how the small businesses are struggling and they want to increase the burden further by saying that they want to raise minimum wage. Hillary, you cannot decide minimum wage of workers. Their employers know exactly what their workers are worth. If they are hard-working, employers will taise the wages and not you. You are no-one to tell me how to run my house. You want the votes now so you want say anything. Beware, americna people know what your intention is. You are not fit to run this country.
CNN will try to moderate this message and perhaps it will not be published.

won't increases in minimum wage increase costs on other things and then the dollar's value will go down even further?

If Clinton can be influenced this easy by Edwards, how easy do you think it will be for the lobbyists that are donating millions upon millions to her campaign?

Time for a change America!

Obama/Edwards '08

Ok John your move…

Hillary is a proactive politician, a step ahead of John Edwards and two steps ahead of Obama. This shows that experience does count a lot.

What? pay people a wage they can live off of? outrageous! Its like our president following the law (contstitution). Must be a communist idea. Hurry lets bring up god!

What pay workers a decent wage? Never it would be like our president following the constitution! Must be a communist plot. Let's bring of God quick!

At least she actually did something instead of just talking about doing something like Edwards and Obama always do. Go Hillary!

I think we should link the lowest wage paid by an employer to the highest wage paid by that employer. It irks me that a janitor making $9.50 an hour might be working for a Fortune 500 CEO that is making a median wage of 8.4 million dollars annually, which is $4,038.00 per hour. That is 425 times what the janito is making. Now, I am sure that the CEO is a bright guy and that he has a lot of experience, but I'd like to video tape a $4000 hour to see what they do that is 425 times harder than cleaning the building. Those guys aren't THAT good, and I'm sure we can hire a Chinese CEO for a lousy thousand an hour.

I propose a minimum wage AND a maximum wage. Let's say that the CEO cannot make more than 100 times the salary of the lowest paid employee in the company. If the current crop of CEOs, who don't seem to be that brilliant to me (with a few noteworthy exceptions that are noteworthy because they are so few - like Bill Gates for example). Now I'm sure that some of those fellows can't figure out how to live on a lousy million or two a year, but let's lay them off and find someone who can.

I propose

Hillary had already introduced the legislation when Edwards questioned her on it, it wasnt made public until thursday. That makes Edwards look foolish not Hillary. She had already started the ball rolling. maybe Edwards needs to go back to the senate so he can do the job that he never did while he was there. But that would require him to win and North Carolina is not as fond of him as he thinks. I know, I am from North Carolina.

"won't increases in minimum wage increase costs on other things and then the dollar's value will go down even further?"

The problem with both of them is they have almost zero experience in the private sector. What do you expect? We have people running massive budgets that don't know economics 101. We need someone that does - quick, or America is in big trouble.

Take THAT Edwards! She WAY ahead of y'all!!

Hey America! That plasma TV you have an eye on…price just went up by 20%.

Small businesses are what CREATES the MOST new jobs that these two supposedly covet, if you raise it to high and to fast, small businesses CUT those jobs and then the folks are out of work altogether.

Brilliant.

Here is why Clinton supporters like her:

-She is ready to lead from day one (no explanation as to how but it sure is a good line, isn't it!)

-Obama is a talker, but Hillary is a doer (if by doing, they mean voting for the war, then I guess their right)

-She has 35 years of experience (what that experience is, they are not at liberty to share with the rest of, but just believe them, they obviously know what they're talking about)

-She is a change agent (yet she couldn't get a health care plan passed with a Democratic President and Democratic Congress)

-There are no surprises (it's the same divisive Hillary you've always known)

-You get change through "hard work" (Gee, that kind of reminds one of a certain Republican candidate from the 2004 election)

-Barack's health care plan leaves out 15 million people (don't worry that there is no proof to back that number up, and don't you dare ask Hillary how she plans on mandating health insurance in her plan)

-Hillary will lift up the middle class (by middle class, she obviously means anybody making $100k a year like firefighters)

How are some of my fellow Democrats so clueless? And, as a Democrat, do I hate Hillary? Well, yes I do. She represents everything that is wrong with the Democratic Party.

WHAT A PANDERER!

After 7 years in the Senate, she waited until she ran for president to introduce a bill that even comes short of obama's proposal. Only fools buy this kind of empty rhetoric.

Now, let's see how you're going to get it passed.

"won't increases in minimum wage increase costs on other things and then the dollar's value will go down even further?"

The problem with both of them is they have almost zero experience in the private sector. What do you expect? We have people running massive budgets that don't know economics 101. We need someone that does - quick, or America is in big trouble.

Posted By Shannon, Raleigh, NC : December 20, 2007 8:29 pm
______________________________

That is really pathetic statement. $9.50 is not alot. It means someone would have good meal 3 times a day, decent place to stay…little things. It is not giong to create multimillionaire that cost of living is going to go up.

Lets do simple math- $9.50 x 40 hours= $380 per week before taxes. which is less than $20,000 a year before taxes.

DO YOU REALLY THINK THIS IS GOING TO DRIVE UP THE COST OF EVERYTHING ELSE. It just means survival that is all.

Hey America! That plasma TV you have an eye on…price just went up by 20%.

Posted By Mario Uy Streamwood IL : December 20, 2007 8:39 pm
_________________________________

that is pretty childish statement. Math is really not your strong subject. $9.5 an hour is just under $20k a year.

That's funny.

Great move Hillary.

Hillary '08!!!

First time I agree with these two; raising the min. wage is great. But I hope after raising the min. wage, noone gets into office who raises income tax. That will be like lifting up the avg. American worker with one hand and dragging them down with the other.

Mrs. Bill Clinton wants you to refer to her as Hillary so you can warm up to her and hide the fact she’s a Senator from New York that has no proven record. Senator Clinton is the candidate not Hillary from the Bill Clinton era. Remember that!

If it weren't for the coming elections, nothing would ever get done!

Now, if my minimum wage is increased to $9.50 an hour, does that mean I will get out of debt and retire early with no fear of being incarcerated unlawfully by a rogue prosecutor, or will my health plan deny me the expensive treatment that somehow is the only treatment that can keep me alive, or does this now mean that the illegals will have a higher incentive to come here?

Gee, I can (A)hope in one hand that at least one of these power hungry, idiots can at least speak about some real issues instead of trying all of this oneupsmanship crap, or (B) spit in the other hand and (C)see which hand gets action first!

HEY HILLARY But you FORGOT ABOUT GOOD OLE W. He is going to use his 14ct Gold Saudi Pen hand crafted in Medina!!

TO VETO IT!!!!!!!!!!! Cause he hates you with a hate of 10,0000 Years

Raising the Minimum wage will only do 2 things. Drive more work out of the US to other countries that don't pay workers what we American's demand to get paid and increase the amount of taxes the average working family pays in. The only candidate who has given us a solution is RON PAUL. Take the IRS out of the equation and we can take home more of the money we already EARN!

WOW! She introduces bills, but can not even make it to the Senate to VOTE for them. At least this proves to me she really is in the Senate, I was starting to wonder since she never makes it.

How about we stop paying politicians when they are out campaigning while they SHOULD be working?

Don't raise minmum wage you commie…Institute fair tax!

Bush is a lunatic to laugh off Clinton's idea. Bush has done more damage to the USA than any US president in the US history. Like Dennis K, congressman of Ohio stated Bush needs to be checked out for his mental instability and dismissed from his office and sent to a mental home for life long treatment. The earlier the better so there will be less damage. Oops ! Cheney needs to accompany him too.

"Former" Senator Edward can honk/attack all he wants from the "outside" and Hillary will get things done from the inside by becoming our President in 2009!

Thats called a polite political SLAP in the FACE Mr Edwards!

Go Hillary 08!

Well, I don't really agree with the proposal, but you gotta give it to her. She's a smart gal. She's really trying her best to get your vote and using her head.

What? She introduced the bill on Wednesday but couldn't make it back for the votes she is supposed to make as a senator? Guess she doesn't need to be in Washington after all. That includes after the Presidential election.

Why should we raise the minimum wage? To help all those lazy turds that screwed away their educational opportunities and are now finding out how tough it is to live like a pimp on a burger flipping salary scale. Raising the minimum wage is just going to encourage them to reproduce even more. We have enough poor people.

Clinton and Edwards make a very god point…. neither of them know how to run a business. My vote is for someone with real experience and integrity. Go Romney!

Can she pass the bill if so many of the other Congressmen disagree with her?

At least she doesn't promise to carry Southern States, then fail to carry his own state in a general election. Hill just introduced the bill: didn't promise she could get it passed.

Drive minumum wage up, drive CEO pay down, make it illegal for U.S businesses to flee to China. Tax imports big time. These kind of terrible ideas are communist and protectionist and if emplemented would result in the creation of new class of people. The dreaded middle class.
The middle class was snuffed out so America could compete in the global labor arena. What America really needs is hords of people willing to work 80 hours a week for 37 cents an with no benefits. Then corporations could compete and CEOS could make what they are really worth.

I think Congress should be paid minimum wage. That's about all they are worth!

Hillary is amazing and she shows it over and over again.

…thus proving that Hillary, Edwards, and few of the people posting here on this message board know the slightest bit about economics.

Raising the minimum wage HURTS the poor by making businesses shear off the least necessary, the least able, the least educated and the least profitable jobs. In addition, it will cause inflation. If every business knows that everyone can afford a $9 meal, why won't they charge $9 for it? The entire cost of labor from picking tomatos, slaughtering cows, shipping the food, paying the fast food workers, etc. will go up significantly. You don't think you would still get the same taco for $1.50 if they have to pay their workers twice as much, plus the increased cost of food from the labor supply chain.

I'm strongly doubting that the corporate heads will take a huge pay cut when they know that their customers can afford to pay more for food anyway…And this would also mean that all businesses would be absolutely stupid NOT to outsource to cheaper international labor markets where they can.

In my opinion, qualification #1 to run for president is a grasp of the reality of the world and a basic understanding of economics. It's very obvious from this proposal that Hillary and Edwards do not have such a grasp. I hope this is merely political pandering and that Hillary has no intention of this bill actually passing.

Clinton is on a role. She almost copied, verbatim, Edwards' health care proposal, and now she has taken his instruction to raise the minimum wage. Way to lead, John, but please don't take this as an indication that she'll be a good VP for you.

How about they try to get the price of education under control first. Then people would be working jobs that should pay more. Working at McDonalds flipping burgers should not even come close to that.

Mandy. NEWSFLASH For you!!!! If small businesses can't pay a living wage they SHOULD fail. If thier employees make so little they recieve foodstamps and subsidized housding and free healthcare then YOU are paying a subsidy to that small business owner who probably lives in a 250,000 dollar home in the burbs. Wake up and smell the coffee.

Whatever happened to the way our Founding Fathers thought? What ever happened to the Honest in Honest Abe? What happened to listening to our people first and then thinking about ourselves? Would a true leader even argue with other people that they would be a better leader? This is really sad.

That is why Mr. Obama gets my support. He may not win, but at least I can wake up every day, look at myself in the mirror and knowing I'm doing the right thing.

Hillary and "coat tail" politics.., I really hope and trust that american people can see that, before they vote.

Did any of you Hillary haters even read this tickers? The bill was introduced on wednesday while I don't know how this things work am sure she must have been working on the bill before Edward said anything about it.

TALK IS CHEAP!

John Edwrads demands for change.

Obama brings hope to change.

Hillary WORKS to change.

I am a Clinton supporter, but am not sure I agree with this bill. Uless there are provisions in the bill to offset this added labor expense to SMALL business', I would have to say it's a bad move. We small business owners are struggiling throughout much of the nation with high taxes and insurance costs. Added labor expense will make it that much more difficult. While I absolutly agree that Americans need to be paid a decent wage, which is not happening now, I also believe that the Government bends over backward to relieve costs for large business while leaving small business out in the cold. And it's usually the labor pool who suffer for this. The first thing small business are forced to cut back on is labor cost.

Has anyone ever noticed that he rise in minimum wage does not help anyone?

Need a graphic example?

Currently the minimum wage is $5.85 / hour.

When I had my first job, the minimum wage was $3.35 / hour.

Currently the cost of a can of soda is $.85.

In days of yore, it was $.35.

The price of a can of soda has risen 143% while minimum wage has risen 75%.

Try it with anything that existed 20 years ago, rent, cars, etc. What is happening is not the increasing value of products, but the lowering of value of labor along with lowering the value of the dollar. You can try to claim they are not connected, but the Dims have already insisted that they are over and over again, but as usual they got everything backward.

Why only $9.50 per hour? If you Dems are really concerned about the plight of the poor, why not make the minimum wage $100 per hour?

The reason, of course, is that raising the minimum wage does nothing to increase productivity - it only raises prices (businesses will pass on the cost of the wages) and causes unemployment (if I have to give my three janitors a big raise, I´ll fire one of them and have the other two work harder to justify their higher cost).

This is basic economics everyone should have learned in school. But because teachers are more likely to be socialists than capitalists these days, it´s no wonder most Americans are ignorant about economics.

Of course, most politicians don´t care a whit about the plight of the poor or screwing up the economy. They just want to get elected. Luckily, the idiots who vote for the democrats are the most likely to suffer from their stupid actions. Those of us who understand basic economics can see what´s coming if Hillary gets elected, and we´ll do what we can to protect ourselves. But it´s an educational shame that those who will suffer most will blame "evil capitalism," when, in fact, it is politicians thwarting capitalism who screw things up.

BUY those votes Hillary, and use my tax dollars to do it:-(

Trust Me. Its lip service.SOS.Sybolism Over Substance. Bill said in 92 he would cut middle class taxes. 2 months into his term,he goes on national tv and "pouts" thathe tried his hardest but cant do it. The same will happen.

Employers and employees should be FREE from government interference when negotiating wages.

Slavery is illegal. If you don't want to work for a wage you find too low and your employer won't give you a raise, quit.

How on earth do Americans survive on $5.85 p/h? Min wage in Britain is $8.99 p/h for 18-21 year olds and $11.15 p/h for 22+. Maybe we are just being taxed to death

This vote will be coming from the Congress and the Senate, a body of people who get to vote on THEIR OWN PAY RAISES, so I ask why can't WE, as Americans, vote to increases the minimum wage. This has always made me mad, Americans are suffering and their Government votes on their own pay increases, WHY….WHY…because we let it happen. Our politicians, GOP or DEM, have lost touch with the average American. Those guys go to Washington to get rich, not to help or at least make America better.
This won't happen; I mean I will not hold my breath while they debate to raise the minimum wage, which they will not do. They understand that there must be the haves and the haves-not; we cannot disrupt the status quo!
I am moving to Canada-at least they have health care for all and a higher federal pay wage.

CNN, I know for a fact you will not post this, but I wanted to voice my opinion anyway…….

Any perceived harm to small business that may be caused by raising the minimum wage absolutely pales in comparison to the harm caused by the Staples, Home Depots and WalMarts of this country.

Great plan Hillary…but this is a "totally knew" stump for you!!! Because you pulled a plan out of your hat–doesn't change the fact, we've already assessed your agenda during the previous Presidency, you service as Senator, and recently–and until now,,, this is the first time a passionate plea to aid poverty has emerged from those lips!!!

Don't buy it. I'm still for John Edwards. At this point I believe you would say nearly anything to get back into the White House–and like your spouse–accomplish little to help the average American you're suddenly so interested in.

What's wrong with you people? Hey I want the minimum wage $100.00 per hour? Hey guys……..get real. Senate and the House just dpn't propose any amount as the minimum wage. They study the market and the standard of living in any States of the country. At least the Senate and the House are doing their best to make things happen. Some reject the proposal, some accept the proposal. Even if a senator propose a bill, if majority do not accept or agree, it will not go through. But Hillary seems like she will not stop fighting for it as long as she knows it will be good for the people that she is going to serve. That's what I saw in her. I beleive Hillary do what she says. Not like the other candidates, especailly Obama who loves to talk but that's it. I cannot afford to have a President like that. And I know the people of the United States will not that either. Sweet talks will not help and Obama knows that. I could understand his eargerness to be President but Obama should also understand that to be a President is not just a simple job………it is a huge job. Obama needs to realized………and with all respect for him, any position that calls for accountabliity and capability, you need to have the experience and qualification to be considered. I know and Obama knows, when you applied for a high position job, they listed the qualifiecation and experience that must be met before you apply. I cannot afford to have an apprentice President. Our contry is not doing well. Do we want someone to take charge to our country without knowing what to do? Can we just allow our next president to be run by advisers? I know that we the voters will not allow that. We are tired suffering in our country. We the people of the United States deserve also to enjoy life and will always be proud of our beloved country.

Wow, she first copied his Health Care Plan, and now this? She must really think Edwards' is GREAT!

I think she's vying to be his vice president!

Its Voodoo Economics 101 all over again.

Those who have swallowed the Alice-in-Libertarian-Lane "free market" fairy tale are again reviving the argument that raising wages is really lowering wages and that the best thing we can do for the poor is to pay them less so that they will be happier. None of them have read the history of the New Deal, the Fair Deal, the New Frontier, and the Great Society, which built a middle class in America, raised real wages, sent us to college, financed our houses, established equal rights for women and minorities, and re-built America as a middle-class country. That work, unfortunately, has been largely undone by Reaganomics (enrich the rich) and Bushruptcy (bankrupt the nation).

So here's a compromise that even a Conservative could support.

1. Do NOT raise the minimum wage for small businesses employing a small number of people (take your pick: 50, 100, 500). People who need a job badly or need training and experience can get starter-jobs there.

2. Raise the minimum wage for employees of large corporations. If they can pay millions for a CEO, they can pay the janitor ten bucks an hour.

3. Establish a MAXIMUM wage at, say, 50 or 100 times the annual wage of the lowest paid employee of that corporation. That way, the CEOs and the VPs will have real motivation to pay their employees more.

HILLARY IS THE LADY MS. PRES
Show them your stuff, you are the only one qualified and you will do a great job I feel very confident.
Oboma is a nice young man not yet there to be president. So Opra supports him I feel that is raciest on her part she has not campaigned for anyone until a black man is running. O.K. Jesse and Al go to it Opra is being racciest in after all these years now coming out for him and him only and…who cares who she wants elected. She has so much money why does she not build a school in the US to support all the youg black girsl in the country that made her so rich !!!
Thank you

CS

This is rediculous. I don't understand why people think raising the minimum wage is going to do any good. We need to have legislation based on percentages. There is no reason for the CEO's life to be 100% paid for and then for them to get paid in the billions of dollars. I don't care what he/she did. There needs to be better accountablility within corporations to take care of their employees in such a manner than a badly inspired, short term, inflation raising, cost of goods rising, international investors leaving, devaluation of the dollar, poorly hatched minimum wage increase plan.

Clinton is right.
We feel we are going to support Hillary Clinton
HILLARY IS THE LADY MS. PRES
Show them your stuff, you are the only one qualified and you will do a great job I feel very confident.
Obama is a nice young man not yet there to be president. So Oprah supports him I feel that is raciest on her part she has not campaigned for anyone until a black man is running. O.K. Jesse and Al go to it Oprah is being raciest in after all these years now coming out for him and him only and…who cares who she wants elected. She has so much money why does she not build a school in the US to support all the young black girls in the country that made her so rich !!!
Thank you

CS

Oprah effect didn't really sway voters
Talk show host's effort might even have backfired, poll says

December 20, 2007
Oprah might just as well have stayed home and hung out with her gal pal Gayle.

It was hoped her recent appearances on the campaign trail to promote the presidential aspirations of her friend Barack Obama would have dazzled women voters. But noooo . . .

Or so says a new poll released Wednesday by Lifetime Networks and Zogby International. The pollsters interviewed 500 New Hampshire women — to look at the views in this early primary state — and 1,000 other women across the nation to determine their perspectives on the upcoming presidential election.

And what the pollsters found was that Oprah made little difference in the way women are looking at the candidates.

In fact, with some groups of women, Oprah's efforts actually backfired.

In New Hampshire, pollsters found one-third of the women under 30 said Oprah "stumping actually made them less likely to support Obama." Seventy-three percent of the other women said it made no difference to their campaign choices at all.

Voters don't want "to have their entertainment figures involved in political support," explained Fritz Wenzel, director of communications at Zogby International.

The poll was taken during the Dec. 8 weekend when Oprah was on the stump for Obama in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

In New Hampshire, pollsters found Clinton leading Obama by 14 points — 39 percent to 25 percent, although 40 percent of the respondents said they still had not made up their minds.

More women head to polls than men
The point is the effort by Clinton's campaign to make her seem warm and cuddly may not even be necessary.

Women say they don't feel obliged to support Clinton because she is a woman; they support her because she is a strong, smart woman and a role model, according to the poll.

That is especially true for minority women who say they are more interested in supporting Clinton because she is a woman than they are in voting for Obama because he is a minority candidate.

And because more women head to the polls than men, the voting gender gap may also help Clinton outpace her rivals.

The gap was greater than ever before during the 2004 presidential election, with 67.3 million women voting compared with 58.5 million men, said Debbie Walsh, Director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.

"There is great potential for women to play a major role in seeing who will become the next president of the United States," Walsh told reporters during a phone conference Wednesday about the Lifetime/Zogby poll.

Pollsters found 89 percent of New Hampshire women say they are likely to vote in their state's primary on Jan. 8.

Iraq isn't top concern for women
Sixty percent of all the women interviewed say this presidential election is more important than any other one in their lifetimes. They are concerned more about education, jobs and the economy and health care than the war in Iraq. (Although for New Hampshire women, the war was still the No. 1 concern.)

Other interesting data also emerged from the poll. For Republican women living in New Hampshire, there is a so-called Iowa effect — pollsters found women there are more likely to switch candidates if the one they support does not do well in Iowa.

For Democrats it's a different story. The majority of New Hampshire Democrats will stay with the candidate they originally choose, despite his or her showing in Iowa.

Voters were asked which presidential candidates they trusted the most. For Republican women, Mike Huckabee came in first with 18 percent. Mitt Romney and John McCain were tied at 16 percent.

About 32 percent of Democratic women trusted Clinton, followed by Obama at 19 percent. Obama was seen by 25 percent as the candidate who most represents change. But Clinton was seen by 23 percent as a candidate of change.

The revelation of the Lifetime/Zogby poll is that women are going to be a huge factor not only for the caucuses and primaries but in the general election. Which is why Michelle Obama — mother, career woman and keeper of Obama's socks — is out on the trail so frequently pitching to women and why Clinton and Obama have formed women's groups.

Now we just have to get more women elected at all levels of government if we really want to make a difference. You go girls!

Okay this is easy. Credit Edwards with idea and the push behind it.
And watch Hillary Clinton do what she always does, only respond and do things in response to perceived political gain. If she thought it was a good idea all along, she would have introduced the bill before Edwards suggested it and wouldn't need his prodding.
Hillary Clinton is a female Mitt Romney - an empty suit willing to change colors or do or say anything and everything to get elected.

Way to go Hillary. She is constantly trumping her show horse opponents with real action. Get with it, Democrats, if you want to be "electable" you have to have something to show for it. I "like" Edwards more than Hillary, but I'll vote for her because she can get it done.

So we raise the min wage - then the price of shoes go up, and the price of bread, and the price of food - now you make more, but you dont have any more. And by 2011 - lets not get in too big a hurry. Link to Congress, I think other than cost of living, congressional raises should be voted on by each state. If you suck- no raise.

Another raise for illegals?? Americans don't do those jobs remember..

So much for being a "world class genius", I would say a "world class ….."

Obviously she has no clue about the impact this will have throughout the economy. If you have to pay your local high-schooler 9.50 for his job at McDonald's, be prepared for $8.00 Big Macs. If a landscaper has to pay $9.50@hr for his "undocumented workers", your ficus tree just went up to $300 and your mowing will cost $40 each time they come out.

Maybe we'll see now if she's a "strong and capable leader with the experience to be an agent of change" when this ludicrous proposal gets stomped.

I can see a lot of corporations deciding to send their 'help desk' operations to India or the Philippines to $2.25 and hour instead of paying $9.50 per hour here.

She wants to run the country, please, I wouldn't trust her running the local pee-wee football league.

Have a great weekend and a Merry Christmas!

How 'bout Edwards just starts paying us all $400 per haircut…that would begin ending poverty for us…I mean, if doesn't mind paying it, I don't mind receiving it.

Ending poverty has been the cause of my life, he says, then why John, did you work for a company which not only engaged in predatory lending, but also took full advantage of tax havens?

I propose a minimum wage AND a maximum wage. Nice as that sounds, they would just fill it in with perks. A house you don't have to pay for, company car, company jet, company apartment, company food stipend, or, in the case of most companies, a 300 million dollar retirement package for your 10 years of hard work. Did I mention that avoids the taxes you would get for a 300 million dollar bonus?

Pandering!! Where have you been? Why did this only become an issue for Clinton when it became apparent she was facing competition in the primaries?

$9.50 per hour?? The illegals on my street corner want $10.

"“With stagnant wages and skyrocketing costs for healthcare, energy and college, working families in America need a break. That is why yesterday I introduced legislation to raise the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2011, and link the minimum wage to Congressional pay raises after that,” said Clinton in a Thursday statement. The senator said the measure was “the first bill ever to call for a $9.50 minimum wage.”

That's great, Hillary. I'm sure that'll be passed next week– oh, that's right. This is Congress we're talking about. That bill won't be railroaded through. It'll be put into committee in the Senate, then stalled there. Once the committee has its say and the Senate votes on it, it'll go to the House to stall out there. We'll probably get that $9.50 minimum wage by the next presidential election. And, like always, you introduce the bill or act only after an opponent challenges you on it.

There's your self-anoited frontrunner/leader, ladies and gentlemen– only acting when someone else tells her to do something, not on her own accord. This is someone that's not fit for the White House.

Of course she is going to try to help raise the minimum wage…only after John Edwards did the right thing and rammed it down her throat! I'm glad he did, the cow needs help to be reminded of these things instead of eating so much.

Soooo…if quick draw Hillary can introduce a minimum wage bill, why didn't she introduce a HEALTHCARE BILL? Why did she wait soo late? Aren't all of the senators on break?

Heh. Yep, once again Edwards leads and Clinton follows. Edwards has been advocating to raise the minimum wage to $9.50/hour for five months.

Edwards has been leading on all the issues. Shoot, even AFSCME used Edwards healthcare plan to attack Obama…not Clinton's (whom they endorsed.)

Vote Edwards, he is the real change candidate.

It is easy to introduce a bill, but you should congratulate HRC when the bill is passed by both houses and signed by the President. Fat chance. It is just showwomanship on her part

This is a horrible idea, I can't imagine paying an employee of mine 20,000 a year; that would wind up making it so my employees would only need two jobs instead of three. Thus, becuase I'm the kind of boss that would just work them harder because I'm trying to ring every cent out of their labor, that third job they quit is going to be mine. Thus, I'm going to have to clean up after myself, and nobody making the kind of money I do should have to do that.

Minimum wage increase doesn't fix the economy it only hurts. It will hurt small business. Larger business are already tired of our countries standards are slowly moving jobs outside the country.

If you are going to hike minimum wage figure out how to offset the inflation that will come with then, I would call her brilliant.

Though people think increasing minumum wage helps the low income families it merely is going to drive them into unemployment.

It doesn't hurt the upper class at all but it will devestate the middle class due to the eventual inflation.

THE FAIR TAX WILL SOLVE ALL HILLARY DEAR!!!!! PLEASE BUY THE BOOKS. OPEN YOUR MIND.

Hey America! That plasma TV you have an eye on…price just went up by 20%.

Posted By Mario Uy Streamwood IL : December 20, 2007 8:39 pm

That would be so, if any American had any part of making it - but thanks to Clinton and Bush free trade agreements, that plasma TV's made in a country with no minimum wage, and no OHSA.

why dont you take back the oil companys like when roesevelt gave away the united states, raise gas prices for 2 years to 4 a gallon,put that 800 billion in profits into getting this country back up and running,better yet, go ahead and develop e-85 from corn and take that money and buy the oil companys for 20 on the dollar,,got any guts? i think every farmer in this country would grow corn if it was to benifit there country dont you? i mean before your goverment bankrupts the whole country, its ruthless times,and that calls for ruthless measures, i dont mind paying 9.50 a hr if im buying gas at 80 a gallon, there only paying .60 in brazil for e-85,so whats your excuse?i suggest you travel outside the country and see what and how other goverments are using there power and resources, you can either do it or china will here in this country,after were bankrupt,which youve already pushed the working class to there limit,witout us there is no future for you to make! and youve almost done it now,i suggest you do something quickly, as companys are dropping left and right,then whos going to pay your 9.50 an hr? not me!

To all ye who oppose raising the minimum wage. Please show me one study where raising the minimum wage has resulted directly in the significant loss of jobs, or damage to small businesses.

More wages across the board means more disposable income which leads to booming business. Looks at the states that have had higher wages than nationally - not doing too badly, are they?

If you're going to diss the idea, please back it up with facts, instead of lies.

I disagree with both of you on this. 9.50 /hr is too much to say, "you want fries with that?"

Why raise the minimum wage for those that put in minimal effort?

What a waste of my money and to make my education, experience, and motivation to work hard worth less.

Our state already has a minimum wage law that keeps it 1.75 higher than Federal. So now they are going to make over $11 p/hr for minimum effort? Why?

When our state raised the minimum wage. Just to put things in prospective for people and give an easy example.. when my state raised the minimum wage to $1.75 an hour higher than federal everything on a $1 menu went to $1.39 or 1.50; all the $1 stores became 1.50 stores. A simple example but the costs went up across the board, as well as cost people jobs.

Increasing Minimum wage only lowers the value of money (inflation) and increases the overall cost for everyone but those that put in minimal effort with minimal skill. The minimum wage should not be a form of social welfare; which is exactly what Edwards and Clinton are proposing.

Emily: What a load of b.s. You obviously have no clue about Edwards history working for minimum wage increases in mulitple states and how he co-sponsored countles minimum wage increases before Hillary was even in the Senate. Edwards also built learning labs for kids who couldn't afford computers and tutoring. Edwards also started a college program for kids who couldn't afford to go to college. Do your research, Edwards has done a hell of a lot in regards to fighting poverty, your candidate only did this because the Iowa caucus is days away.

Shannon: Are you serious? Do you actually believe we need people who have experience in the private sector to run our economy? How do you think Bush has been doing? He ran an oil company into the ground. Cheney formerly headed up Halliburton. Yeah, the private sector Republicans have done wonders to the American dollar and our economy.

Brian: Where are your morals? How in the heck do you defend corporations going overseas to employ children for .15 an hour? How can you defend what American corp. are doing? You do know that they are making the largest profits ever in history?

This raise in minimum wage is a smoke screen by the con artists running for office. There is no family in this country that can live on $9.50 per hour. That is $19,000 per year. What is the annual cost of housing, medical, and food for a family not to mention insurance, gas and utilities. I would like to see our representatives live on this wage so they can understand what working people really have to contend with. The politicos are all a smoke and mirrors with their own personal adgenda. Instead of linking the minimum raise with Congressional pay lets reduce Congressional pay to the minimum wage, after all look at what they have accompolished. Not much

I think it is a terrific idea good going Hilliary way to lead by example! Your willingness to work for minimum wage is a shining example to all the greedy people in politics all over the world and is an historic event!

Look at them, destroying the middle class by pulling the lower, uneducated, class up into it!!

I busted my butt to get to where I am today, and they're going to make my hard-earned wages worth even less by mandating that grocery baggers and janitors get paid nearly as much as newly-graduated baccalaureate college students, who meanwhile struggle to find well-paying work in their fields because all of their jobs are shipped off to the third world because of these "free trade" NWO types??

I never thought we'd have to go though the trouble of defeating communism again, much less in our home country!!!!

"Former" Senator Edward can honk/attack all he wants from the "outside" and Hillary will get things done from the inside by becoming our President in 2009!

Thats called a polite political SLAP in the FACE Mr Edwards!

Go Hillary44 08! http://hillaryis44.org/