Daily Clips: March 18th, 2016
Governor blocks $2.85 minimum wage increase after giving staffers $73,405 raises: Headlines like this demonstrate that trickle-down economics still has a grasp upon many important political figures. How else can you explain such idiocy?
As you may remember, last month “Governor Bentley signed a bill blocking Alabama cities from raising their minimum wages above the federal floor of $7.25 an hour.” Not only does such a preemption block the will of the people, it also blocks more money from going into his 46th ranked state economy.
The grim reality of American politics:
The near-term future of politics and policy in America is a pretty grim one. Intimidated by the nihilist, nativist pressure from talk radio hosts and bloggers, Republican leaders in Congress are not all that likely to ignore their desires. That may mean continued stonewalling on a Supreme Court seat, leaving a 4-4 Court for a long time (though a Democratic Senate would likely do what it takes to confirm a Clinton nominee). A Trump loss—which he would surely blame on the enemy within—would not mean the demise of a Trump movement or the angry populism behind it, and the driving need by Republicans to recapture their party’s mojo in the midterm would probably have them fall back on the populist approach that worked in 2010 and 2014. So brace yourselves for a rocky road ahead, not just in 2016 but in 2017 and beyond.
Tweet of the day:
Excellent, from @NewYorker pic.twitter.com/lGCcUWsvYD
— Joe Parkinson (@JoeWSJ) March 18, 2016
