Ed Markey: “Candidate Dole said earlier this year that he did not realize that jobs and trade and what makes America work would…”

“Candidate Dole said earlier this year that he did not realize that jobs and trade and what makes America work would become a big issue in this campaign. A few weeks ago the House Republican majority whip claimed that families trying to live on $4.25 an hour do not really exist. Just what planet are these people on? It appears that the Republican leadership's social circle is restricted to those who are already doing quite well, nicely, thank you. In fact, according to this week's Forbes magazine, the bible of the Republican Party, the median income of the CEO's, of the 800 biggest companies in America was $1.5 million, up 15 percent from last year. When it comes to salaries, Republicans apparently subscribe to the Forbes doctrine: more dough for the CEO, but not even a dollar if you are blue collar, while corporate chieftains may be breaking out the champagne and caviar in the boardrooms this year, millions of American families are still scraping to make ends meet. Indeed, the Republican majority leader has promised corporate America that he will resist an increase in the minimum wage with every fiber in his being. It is just like Harry Truman always said, the Republican Party supports a minimum wage, the lower the minimum the better for the working people in this country. Unfortunately, the GOP leadership has now loaded up the bill with a grabbag of back-door bennies for their broadroom buddies. They just cannot stop themselves.…”