http://blog.aflcio.org/?p=866Legislation & Politics, Bush & Co.
Jun 20
David Sirota Shreds John Stossel’s Misleading Claims About the Minimum Wage
John Stossel, who in recent months has morphed from a semi-straightforward TV news reporter to a mouthpiece for the far right, recently met his match in progressive journalist David Sirota.
On ABC’s “20-20,” Stossel has dissed the nation’s teachers, claimed the gender wage gap doesn’t exist and even defended “price gouging” after Hurricane Katrina.
Now he’s after the minimum wage.
But although Stossel monopolizes the media pulpit on “20-20,” when he appeared with Sirota June 18 on CNBC’s “Kudlow and Kramer” to talk about the minimum wage, he suddenly found his misleading assertions challenged.
Stossel claimed the minimum wage kills jobs. Sirota pointed to the greater job growth figures in states where the minimum wage is higher than the federal $5.15 an hour.
Stossel asserted a higher minimum wage hurts more people than it helps. Sirota noted the studies that showed there is no job loss when the minimum wage goes up.
Stossel said Sirota once called him a “smarmy-looking liar.” Not missing a beat, Sirota responded: “You are.”
Take a look at the clip. It’s fun.
http://blip.tv/file/42657By the way, Sirota’s latest book, Hostile Takeover: How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government, is available at The Union Shop Online.™
by Mike Hall
tags: minimum wage, John Stossel, David Sirota