Okay Republicans, Put Your Vote Where Your Mouth Is

The minimum wage is back again, and the Republicans -- long-time opponents, in theory, of any restriction on wages -- must now show their constituents that they are men and women of principle and not just vote-seekers -- or must they?

They have a legitimate problem. If they vote against the minimum wage increase, they rationalize, they will lose a perhaps critical number of independents and unfaithful Democrats in November. On the other hand, they reason, any Republicans upset at a pro-minimum-wage vote will have no place to go because there is no other viable candidate to run to on the other side.

Are they reasoning correctly? Only their decision and the vote will tell us for sure, and even then it will be difficult to judge which were the exact factors determining the outcome.

Oh how I would hate to be a politician, having to weigh one's conscience against the polls on a daily basis. Well, as some fictitious French thief once said, "I've got a dirty job, it's true; but I have an excuse: I do it dirtily." ("Je fais un sale métier, c’est vrai ; mais j’ai une excuse : je le fais salement." from "Le Voleur" written by Georges Darien.)


[thanks to cinesnap.com for the image.]

For the Wall Street Journal's analysis of the problem, read this article.