The Daily Show began with a little preview of what they thought we might see in this Tuesday's state of the union address and given the fact that they tape well before air time of the president's speech, they decided to highlight one issue they already knew would be discussed, raising the minimum wage.
After discussing the fact that the only thing this obstructionist Congress managed to pass that was laid out in last year's state of the union address was raising the debt ceiling and reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, and the fact that President Obama has decided to go it on his own when it comes to raising the minimum wage for federal contract workers, host Jon Stewart suggested that the president is now in the "f**k it stage of his presidency."
But, as Jon noted, before he can scratch some of the items off of that "f**k it list," we "should probably learn more about this minimum wage thing."
Daily Show correspondent Samantha Bee was sent out to "investigate" the matter and interviewed libertarian wingnut Peter Schiff, who is firmly against any increase in the minimum wage. I know they edit these interviews down for comedic effect, but after watching Schiff in action, harassing Walmart workers who are out there striking for an increase in the minimum wage, I doubt very highly that they misrepresented his views on the issue.
Bee did a good job of making a mockery of the fact that Schiff doesn't want there to be any minimum wage at all, and of his lies about the employees making those wages being primarily entry level workers and the young.
She also had a very bad reaction to columnist Barry Ritholtz telling her about the welfare queens, Walmart and McDonalds and the $7 billion they suck out of our economy every year in public assistance for their employees who are being paid starvation wages.
Schiff of course defended his position, claiming that it was going to harm job growth if we pay workers a living wage. When Bee pinned him down on just how low he was willing to go, things got really ugly.
SCHIFF: If we eliminate the minimum wage law, then individuals would be free to accept jobs at whatever pay they are able to get.
BEE: Give me a picture of a person whose work would be worth $2 an hour?
SCHIFF: You know somebody who might be? Maybe somebody who is, what's the politically correct word, you know, for, you know, mentally retarded?...
I'm not going to say we're all created equal. You're worth what you're worth.
And that pretty well sums up what these right wing reactionary Republicans and libertarians think of all of us. "You're worth what you're worth" and in most cases, they don't think we're worth anything.
