Friday, October 01, 2010

'Toontime: Is It November Yet?

[Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
Wackydoodle axes, "Is that there like an income gap?"

Repugnant candidate for US Senate in Connecticut, Linda McMahon, told a press conference that the federal minimum wage should be reviewed to determine "how much it ought to be". You may recall that the federal minimum wage was only just recently increased (2009) to $7.25/hr. after a decade of stagnation. McMahon is a multi-millionaire and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. According to her Democratic opponent, she takes home $46 million a year and laid off 10% of her workers.

In other election news, Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff, is leaving to run for the Chicago mayor's office. Forty-four angered his liberal base with the choice of pro-war Emanuel as his chief of staff. He was supposed to be the President's tough, can-do negotiator able to cut deals on the Hill. But since going to work in the White House he alienated progressive legislators, calling them at one point in the health care debate, "retarded". A potential glitch in Emanuel's career plans has arisen since he leased his Chicago home in September 2009 while serving in Washington. A Chicago election lawyer told WLS radio that Emanuel, a former fundraiser for the Daley political machine, cannot qualify for the mayor's race since he does not meet the city residency requirement. Oops!

Former California Governor Jerry Brown (D), running for his old job after serving as mayor of Oakland and state attorney general must be dancing a jig right now. His opponent, Meg Whitman, another rich CEO running as the opposition, hit the undocumented worker mine. Whitman's housekeeper for nine years told a press conference on Wednesday Whitman knew she was undocumented, but ignored the fact. Whitman fired Diaz Santillan shortly before announcing her candidacy for governor. Whitman claims she did not know Santillan was an illegal immigrant, but cannot deny she employed her. The former EBay executive spent $71 million her own money to secure the GOP nomination in the most expensive campaign in California history.  Whitman told conservative radio hosts she opposes a program for legalization of undocumented workers.  Too bad she could not afford to hire an American maid.  The GOP is tripping all over its proverbial double standards.