Re: Sen. Jeffords leaves Republican party

["Nathan Newman" <nathan@xxxxxxxxxx>]

The last minimum wage bill from last year had all sorts of crap attached-
that's what happens when its introduction is controlled by the GOP.  The
initial bill in the Senate will not have those kind of riders initially,
although no doubt the GOP will try to pass amendments attaching them.  Given
that any House bill will have such riders, it will depend on negotiations in
committee for whether the final bill is worth supporting, but progressives
will have to mobilize to push a "clean" minimum wage bill and target the GOP
for trying to gut it with bad amendments.

Unlike the implication sometimes made, I never treat Dems as a magic pill
but merely a strategic advantage to make organizing more effective, since if
there are NO decent bills to even vote on, it's very hard to mobilize
anything.

-- Nathan

----- Original Message -----
From: "Margaret Coleman" <drmsecon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <pen-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, May 28, 2001 8:32 AM
>Subject: [PEN-L:12287] Re: Re: Sen. Jeffords leaves Republican party


Nathan Newman mentions (among other things, remarks reprinted below) the
minimum
wage legislation which might be revived now that the Senate has a democratic
majority of one.  Last I checked (about a year ago) there was a rider on
this
legislation which would destroy overtime laws in most states and go a long
way
towards getting rid of the 8 hour day.  Apparently there is a rider which
would
allow employers to demand employees work additional hours without paying
time
and a half.  While overtime laws are already weak at best -- not covering
retail, restaurants or serving positions, they do keep the tendency of
employers
to underemploy labor in check.  maggie coleman

Nathan Newman wrote:

> Don't expect revolutionary changes, but do expect a significant
progressive
> shift.  Many of Bush's judicial nominations will now die in committee
where
> they would have moved forward.  Jeffords will take over the Environment
> committee where most of Bush's anti-environment energy bill will die a
happy
> death.
>
> And popular bills that the GOP have blocked coming to the floor- such as
> minimum wage increases, a prescription drugs benefit for Medicare, and a
> patient bill of rights bill - will come to a vote and pass the Senate,
> putting political pressure on the House to pass them as well.
>
> Conservative Dems like Zell Miller and Ben Nelson will still throw many
> votes to the GOP, but the shift in agenda will highlight why it does
matter
> which party is in control, not for revolution - since that is made at the
> grassroots not inside the Beltway - but for the legislative reforms that
> benefit people day-to-day.
>
> Nathan Newman
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "ravi narayan" <gadfly@xxxxxxxx>
> To: <pen-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 10:22 AM
> Subject: [PEN-L:12098] Sen. Jefferts leaves Republican party
>
> didnt see a post on this so far, and for those who may not yet
> have heard: sen. jefferts of vermont has left the republican
> party, as predicted, as outlined in his press conference this
> morning. of particular interest is that he slammed bush's
> education policy. this of course gives the democrats the
> senate majority. expect great revolutionary changes and the
> common good of the people to finally emerge ;-)
>
> --ravi