In addition to showing Charlie Crist rebounding with an eight-point lead over Rick Scott in the governor's race, today'sQuinnipiac Poll also shows that by a 73-23 margin (including 53-44 percent among Republicans), Florida voters support raising the state's minimum wage from $7.93 an hour to $10.10.
State Senator Dwight Bullard (D-Cutler Bay) and Representative Cynthia Stafford (D-Opa Locka) have introduced such a bill in the Legislature, where it's expected to receive heavy resistance from the Florida Retail Federation, the Chamber of Commerce and other pro-business groups who usually can grab the ear of GOP lawmakers.
During his State of the Union Address on Tuesday night, President Obama announced his support for federal legislation that would also raise the national minimum wage rate to $10.10, and one of the biggest pundits in all of cable news, Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, is shocking some of his hardcore viewers with his unfettered support for such a hike.
[jump]On Wednesday night's The O'Reilly Factory, the outspoken cable news broadcaster fiercely argued with Republican strategist Kate Obenshain regarding the legislation.
"Come on, 10 bucks an hour? Babysitters get that," he said, adding "This is a simple issue.Even the people at MSNBC can understand this. That's how simple it is."
But Obenshain did not back down, telling O'Reilly he's taking on the "imperialistic position."
O'Reilly countered he is taking the "working class position," having worked for minimum wage himself as a teenager.
Obenshain told him people will lose jobs and that the free market should decide wages, but O'Reilly wasn't buying it.
"It's just baloney. They're on the wrong side of it," he said of Republicans, who have fought Democratic attempts to raise the minimum wage.
"You're totally on the wrong side. You're the social engineer at this point," Obenshain said.
"If your guys keep doing this, the next election they'll win will be 80 years from now," O'Reilly said.
Two weeks ago on The Factor he got into similar debate with Lou Dobbs.