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Bachmann: Let's 'Look at' Minimum Wage

Republican hopeful maintains founding fathers fought slavery

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 28, 2011 8:50 AM CDT

(Newser) – Michele Bachmann still thinks minimum wage needs a review—and she says John Quincy Adams was a founding father. Noting that Politifact says she’s gotten more “facts” wrong than any other GOP hopeful, George Stephanopoulos asked her if she wanted to “clear up” some past comments, like her suggestion that the founding fathers “worked tirelessly” to abolish slavery. “If you look at one of our Founding Fathers, John Quincy Adams, that’s absolutely true,” Bachmann said on Good Morning America.

When Stephanopoulos noted that Adams wasn’t a founding father, Bachmann said he “most certainly was a part of the Revolutionary War era.” The interviewer then asked about her 2005 comment that ending minimum wage would fix unemployment. “I think we need to look at all regulations,” Bachmann said, “whatever ones are inhibiting job growth.” Asked if that included minimum wage, Bachman replied, “All regulations, George.” Check out the full transcript.

Bachmann speaks during the 2011 Republican Leadership Conference on June 17, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Bachmann speaks during the 2011 Republican Leadership Conference on June 17, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana.   (Getty Images)
Bachmann  waves to supporters after making her formal announcement to seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Monday, June 27, 2011, in Waterloo, Iowa.
Bachmann waves to supporters after making her formal announcement to seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Monday, June 27, 2011, in Waterloo, Iowa.   (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Bachmann and her husband Marcus wave to the crowd  after her formal announcement to seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Monday, June 27, 2011, in Waterloo, Iowa.
Bachmann and her husband Marcus wave to the crowd after her formal announcement to seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Monday, June 27, 2011, in Waterloo, Iowa.   (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
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Bachmann talks to Stephanopoulos.   (ABC News)

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 81 comments
Achyvi
Jul 1, 2011 2:31 PM CDT
I wonder what would happen if we decided to pay senators the minimum wage in their state, and any associated benefits usually conferred along with that payscale (i.e. none at all)? Just for shits and giggles, of course. I swear, sometimes I think we should just sack the ENTIRE DAMN HOUSE AND CONGRESS and start over, but then I realize that nothing would change even if something radical like that happened because it would still be full of petty, childish idiots. At this point I have to go do something else, because otherwise I will get too depressed and want to cry at the mess we're in.
tomodachi
Jun 28, 2011 2:55 PM CDT
Typical repulican perspective... looking to add to the huge screw job corporation give to the US workers... Fact is... the US has some of the worst labor laws in the world: (clipped) Using data by the U.S. BLS, the average productivity per US worker has increased 400% since 1950. One way to look at that is that it should only take one-quarter the work hours, or 11 hours per week, to afford the same standard of living as a worker in 1950 (or our standard of living should be 4 times higher). Is that the case? Obviously not. Someone is profiting, it’s just not the average American worker. According to the ILO, “Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers.” In every country included except Canada and Japan (and the U.S., which averages 13 days/per year), workers get at least 20 paid vacation days.  In France and Finland, they get 30 – an entire month off, paid, every year. “in 1960, only 20 percent of mothers worked. Today, 70 percent of American children live in households where all adults are employed." (unclip) It's obvious that the corporations have stolen the value of the US laborer... in more way than you can shake a paycheck at.... and the corporate-welfare republicans want to make this disparity even worse.
brutaltruth
Jun 28, 2011 2:25 PM CDT
The minimum wage masks the reality that some people are not worth paying much.  Let the market decide your value to the employer - not some arbitrary socialist ideal.

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