SPEAKER PELOSI'S BIPARTISAN SUPPORT GROWING... GOP LEADERSHIP ISOLATED AND FRUSTRATED

This afternoon, the House voted overwhelmingly to raise the federal minimum wage. It will go from $5.15 to $7.25 over the next two years. It is the second of Speaker Pelosi's First 100 Hour Agenda (HR 2) and it was passed without any of the "sweeteners" Republicans and reactionary Democrats are looking for for their business allies. Republicans and quasi-Republicans will attempt to sabotage the bill in the Senate.

Not a single Democrat abstained and not a single Democrat voted with the Republican leadership, which, led by anti-worker extremists John Boehner (R-OH), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Howdy Doody (aka- Adam Putnam- R-FL) and Buck McKeon (R-CA), tried to kill the bill. Yesterday 68 Republicans abandoned their reactionary leaders to vote for Speaker Pelosi's bill to enact the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Today 82 Republicans fled from the corrosive GOP leadership to join Speaker Pelosi in passing this long overdue legislation. Even arch-reactionaries who voted against the 9/11 bill yesterday-- far right dead-enders like Phil English (R-PA), Virgil Goode (KKK-VA), and Ted Poe (R-TX)-- joined the gaggle of yesterday's Republicans who are petrified of 2008 voter retribution because of close races in November (such as Mean Jean Schmidt, Vern Buchanan, Deborah Pryce, Thad McCotter, Jim Gerlach, Robin Hayes, etc.).

The final count was 315 for working Americans to 116 (all right wing Republicans) against working Americans. The Washington Post was kind enough to break the vote down by congressmembers' astrological signs and you may be interested in knowing that Cancers (a sign known for its empathy) and Virgos (a sign known for its concentration on details) provided the biggest numbers for Pelosi's coalition and that the least support came from stubborn, conservative Taureans.

Tomorrow: Stem cell research.