151. Maybe all the politicians who want the minimum wage left at 5.15 an hour should lead by example. It wouldn't but Mr. McCain one of his suits a month. I live in Colorado where we voted to increase minimum wage to 6.85 effective Jan. 1st. Hell even kids can't buy anything at 174.23 a week after taxes.

Dave at 10:14PM on Jan 24th 2007

152. I had always thought of John McCain as a decent man, and although I am a democrat, I considered voting for McCain. Then, he started going after the "religious right" vote, then the elite Republican vote, he wants MORE troops in Iraq, and now he is against the minimum wage. Some argue that raising the minimum wage will hurt employees. How simple of an excuse is that? It has NEVER hurt the lowest paid to pay them more. If you think raising the minimum wage will hurt the lower level employee, why don't YOU try living on $5.15 an hour for two months, no just do it for one week. Take your present pay and just take out what would be left if you made the minimum wage. I think you would change your mind if you did that.

Mr. McCain, you have so dissappointed me. I actually wanted to vote for a war hero. We had one in John Kerry, but you talked him out of defending himself, then you campaigned with Bush. You learned alot when you were a captive in Vietnam. You learned how to lie, back stab and be a coward. I will NEVER vote for you and will tell everyone how horrible you are. Go ahead and stop the minimum wage, you are stopping the slim chance you had at being President. YEAH

Les Preece at 10:54PM on Jan 24th 2007

153. I have always had John McCain in the back of my mind as the ONE Republicans that would get my vote for President. The more I pay attention to his actions and deeds. The more I see a man that bends in the political winds with NO CORE beliefs that transend into principled stands on issues. I have seen enough, and do hope he wins the Republican nomination so we can be assured of winning the White House!!

Bruce Bentley at 11:38PM on Jan 24th 2007

154. I have been listening to him very closely lately, since I felt he was likely to come out of the pack as the Republican Nominee in 2008, but the more I am paying attention to what he is saying & doing, the more I have gotten turned off...first his support on the increase in troops in Iraq & now this minimum wage vote...unbelievable!

Julia at 11:20PM on Jan 24th 2007

155. Economics 101 should be a required course for any person in this country. Minimum wage increases actually CAUSE an increase in the cost of living, and is the biggest CAUSE of inflation. Work to find and fix the cause, not the symptoms.

Andrew Edwards at 12:00PM on Jan 25th 2007

156. Wake up and smell the coffee - IF you can afford cup, that is.

"The latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that the share of corporate-sector income going to wages is down to its lowest share in over 25 years….The latest CBO [Congressional Budget Office] figures show that almost 60 percent of capital income goes to the top 1 percent in the U.S. income distribution.

This means workers are working harder just to stay afloat.

The lower permanent incomes of Americans, particularly those in the bottom 80 percent of the income distribution, means they will face real constraints that will ill prepare them to take on added responsibilities, such as the current shifts away from employer-provided health care, and the changes in their household balance sheets toward increased risks resulting from current shifts away from employer defined-benefit retirement plans.

Workers’ stagnant wages can be traced to “a steadily growing imbalance of bargaining power between workers and their employers.” (IE The rich DO get richer and the poor and middle class workers become slave labor.)

The implicit “social contract” that allowed Americans to grow together, and build the American middle class, in the early post-WWII decades rested on a rough balance of power between workers and their unions on one side and employers on the other.

Today, this balance of power has eroded and the social contract with American workers is unraveling.

America’s CEOs, who once viewed themselves as stewards of our country’s productive assets, today present themselves as agents of shareholders in whose name they aggressively shift good American jobs off-shore, reduce workers’ pay and walk away from their health care and retirement obligations.

* Anyone who wants to work in America should have a job.

* Anyone who works every day should not live in poverty,
- should have access to quality health care for themselves and their family and
- should be able to stop working at some point in their lives and enjoy a dignified and secure retirement.
* American workers should enjoy the fundamental freedom to associate with their fellow workers and, if they wish, organize unions at their workplace and bargain collectively for dignity at work and a fair share in the value they help create."

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/01/23/the-contract-with-americas-workers-is-unraveling/

Read the above link for more information - unless you are afraid of the truth and would rather bury your head in the sand.

Margi at 12:43AM on Jan 25th 2007

157. This just makes me sick when I read ignorance speak.I mean I`m a production Mgr,I do this for a living and from the trenches let me be clear,it`s the workers not the manager who make the profits for the company and if the minimum wage is raised yes it gives more incentive to send the higher volume product to China but don`t think for a moment that only the blue collar gets hurt because white collar only supports the work of bule collar and less work we have the less we need managers,accountants,etc.We are all in the same boat like it or not.I think we should raise the wages of the CEO`s more since they only make 400 times the wage of the the regular worker and let everyone else eat cake (smile).

Tony at 3:26AM on Jan 25th 2007

158. I already had bad vibes about McCain for being so closely tied to the Bush administration and Bush himself. So this is the final nail in that coffin. However, about the minimum wage issue....maybe getting rid of the Federal minimum wage isn't such a bad idea....hear me out. Our state has a minimum wage of well over $7.00/hr and has had for some time....if the Federal cap on the minimum wage was completely abolished, that would force states to do like so many other states have done already and that is to set their own minimum wage....just like the Federal speed limit that was imposed in the 70's....that's gone and states now set their own speed limits, which btw, are much better suited for that individual state. This would give more power to the actual people of that state and would be up to the people to vote on how high their minimum wage should be.

Bryan at 1:24AM on Jan 26th 2007

159. for jpl, your gutless spinless man your self mccain was in a stupid war himself brought about by the stupid demo party lyndon johnson, remember that creep, just like hilary, and then being a prison camp got released went back again to fight just to get the rest of our soldiers out. he is his own thinker and does not think the repub way. though i am repub (used to be a demo....stupid party that was to back out of iraq just cause we've lost 3000 men... when we lost over 300,000 in nam.. i was there also.)so, ours is a little loss and you and hilary need to go over there and fight to see the real side of things going on... osme of my old combat buddies are over there right now.. dont listten to the liberal media and your stupid mindless liberal mind, mccain is a mans man and deserves to be elected to president. id like to see you try to solve the problems that you and your buddy hilary think you can and try to talk your stupid way out of everything. i cant be done and mccain is the one or maybe guilliani. may these two team together and fight the nations ills: the liberal demos.

james at 3:09AM on Jan 27th 2007

160. McCain is only one of many who are stepping into the political frey. My concern with ALL of them is that they do not appear to have the strong sense of right and wrong and common sense that leaves them vulnerable to the whims of the majority (who for the most part are not very well informed), i.e., who are politicians first and leaders somewhere down the list of attributes. I want someone who knows and articulates their views honestly and effectively and then has the backbone to stand behind them no matter whatever political posturing and ranting and raving is going on.

vince at 2:56PM on Jan 27th 2007

161. Robert Dinkle, I strongley diagree, McCain, is a Good American with Good values, He has the Freedom to Vote as He chooses. South America, Was Not caused by McCain. The Coruption, And The Dictators over their, are at fault.Now Iran is moving in, trying too spread It's imerging power Base, If Iran goes Nucear, Then WE are in for a rude awakening!Let's stop fighting among ourselfs, Unite, and Stop this Great problem from Happening! We Still Have Time to Do Something, Let's Do It!

Robert Hurtado at 11:44AM on Feb 3rd 2007

162. A RAISE IN MINIMUM WAGE IS CERTAINLY DESIREABLE IF
ACOMPANIED BY A RAISE IN PRODUCTION.........WHAT
MOTIVATION IS THIS TO OUR PEOPLE TO GIVE RAISES
WITHOUT ANY NEED FOR INCREASED PRODUCTION....FULL TIME PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYEES DON'T HAVE
TO WORK FOR MINUMUM WAGE, THEY EARN MORE BECAUSE THEY ARE A SCARCE COMMODITY.

CHUCK ROTHSTEIN at 11:38PM on Feb 19th 2007

163. when people say the economy has grown under Bush I would like to know who do they think they are fooling, the price of everything has gone up, yet wages are the same or less, just staying above water in this economy has been ruff. we need a more honest goverment that is going to act for all of the people not just the republican party.

baklee at 1:25AM on Mar 16th 2007