What is that idiot, McHenry's, preoccupation about Samoa and the minimum

[Skidmore]

wage? That was the subject of the dustup with Barney Frank yesterday. What is this little jerk up to?

BTW, the Republics are doing some major whining today.

[Marie26]

1. Check his campaign donations

You'll probably find the answer.

[maxsolomon]

2. the 'democrats are hypocrites (too)' strategy

if you're not ghandi, you're a hypocritical, lying whore.

[underpants]

3. The Northern Marianas had a special exemption from the min. wage

Brian Ross on ABC uncovered footage of Tom Delay being wined and dined by the business interests of the Marianas as a thank you/keep it that way. See they can make clothes in sweatshop conditions and still have "Made in the USA" tags. Well aside from making clothes apparently they also had forced prostitution and forced abortions (Franken tells the whole story in "The Truth, with jokes" -good read) usually with the same women. Nasty nasty stuff.

So I would guess that McHenry is either trying to get this exemption to cover American Somoa or to make sure it stays covering the American Somoas. That would be my guess.

[billybob537]

4. American Samoa is where

the sweatshops are that financed congresscrooks and abrhamoff. They are allowed to use MADE IN USA label. But they don't have to follow rules on child labor and min. wage. Mainly it's a paradise for american companys to exploit poor nearly slave labor and child prostitution. These cos. pump money into lobbyists to insure thier exclusion from american laws.

[RB TexLa]

5. Two of the biggest employers in AS are headquartered California one in SF

that is what they are complaining about, saying it is a giveaway from Pelosi to Del Monte.

[Robbien]

6. GOP Game Plan: Distraction, slow the Dems down, just whine the day away.

If you want to know the reasoning behind any of their whines of the day just go to freeperville, or limbaugh or any of the rest of the whine gang's sites.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

7. Here's some info

It's something about making Pelosi look like a hypocrite.
This thread has some info to debunk:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x3107081
Samoa is exempt from all minimum wage laws and has been for decades.

[Jack Rabbit]

8. If it would please Congressman McHenry

I, personally, would be more than happy to bring American Somoan workers under the protection of federal labor laws.

Is that what he wants? (I doubt it, but it's still a good idea.)

[sandnsea]

9. She should call their bluff right now

Put up an amendment that would change the laws for territories. This has been a shame to our country for years now.

[Warpy]

10. Running out time, basically

They're all yapping away, trying to run out the clock on the 100 hours so they can call Democrats "do nothings."

Plus, he has fatcat contributors he's trying to protect from having to pay a living wage in their Samoan sweatshops.

[GDAEx2]

11. I liked the chairman's response that

he should read the legislation!

[rpgamerd00d]

12. DEBUNKED

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x3107081#3107155

edit: Oops, this reply was supposed to be to the OP, not you :)

[Skidmore]

13. My question is more about what McHenry is up to?

Either he is really ignorant (I'd place money on this) or he is up to something to keep bringing this issue up.

[MonkeyFunk]

14. He's simply

trying to make Pelosi appear to be a hypocrite on the issue, without mentioning the republicans' abysmal record on this issue. That's all.

Pelosi's office has said they have NEVER been lobbied by Starkist on this, and they're just continuing the status quo for American Samoa.