Missouri Dems count on minimum wage, stem cells to topple Talent
2006-09-27
Source: The Hill
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rss feedTwo Missouri ballot initiatives, to increase the minimum wage and approve stem cell research, have wide cross-party appeal but some Democrats think Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill is failing to capitalize on them to topple Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.).
Democrats are concerned that McCaskill, the state auditor, and the coalition of labor unions and left-leaning pressure groups that organized the petition drive to get the minimum wage measure on November's ballot have done too little to mobilize the Democrat's traditional base voters.
"It leaves something to be desired and could be infinitely more powerful," said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), former mayor of Kansas City. "The proponents of the [wage] initiative should have gone on radio shortly after the August primary. The message has to be out repeatedly until it becomes a McDonald’s discussion."
Other Democratic sources in Missouri also question whether enough is being done to capitalize on the initiative, which would raise the minimum wage to $6.50 an hour from $5.15. Congress last raised the minimum wage in 1997.
The umbrella group spearheading the GOTV operation, Give Missourians a Raise, is not airing television or radio advertisements, said Sara Howard, the group's spokeswoman. She would not elaborate on the media strategy.
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