Sneak Peek:
July 23, 2007— -- Progress on the new majority's domestic agenda has been slow in coming on Capitol Hill. But congressional Democrats get their day in the sun Tuesday when the federal minimum wage rises for the first time in a decade.
The minimum wage rises from $5.15 to $5.85 per hour on Tuesday; a year later, it goes to $6.55 per hour; one year after that, it rises to $7.25.
To celebrate the boost in wages for workers in the 20 states that have not moved ahead of the federal minimum wage, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid headline a 2:30 pm ET rally in Upper Senate Park. The congressional leaders will be joined by more than 100 House members and more than a dozen senators. To spread the word about the minimum wage hike, the liberal Americans United for Change made a six-figure ad buy on this issue last week. Their ads are airing on national cable and on DC broadcast television. LINK
One '08er who might soon feel squeezed on the minimum wage is Mitt Romney.
The Republican presidential hopeful promised to index the minimum wage in Massachusetts (it's #39 in his compilation of promises) but he has shied away from his earlier stance in his run for president.
"You know I haven't looked at the federal minimum wage process," Romney told ABC News on Sunday. "I'll look at that. I don't have a – I haven't taken a position on that at this stage."
If Romney sticks to his Massachusetts position, he risks alienating the business groups he is now courting in his run for president. But if he comes out against indexing the minimum wage, he will once again find himself in the crosshairs of the DNC's "Daily Flipper".
On Tuesday, Romney remains in New Hampshire with no public schedule.
Rudy Giuliani heads to California's Inland Empire on Tuesday for a 1:15 pm ET meeting with local residents at the Coffee Depot in Riverside.
"Hard Call" author John McCain raises coin in St. Joseph and Ada, Michigan. He also has a quick media gaggle in Grand Rapids at 1:15 pm ET.
As for the Democrats, Hillary Clinton addresses an audience of about 200 on energy independence and the environment at a 3:00 pm ET event organized by the Seacoast Media Group in Portsmouth, NH. On Monday, Clinton joined Sens. Jim Webb, Robert Byrd and Evan Bayh in calling for the Senate Armed Services Committee to hold hearings on whether the Pentagon has done sufficient planning for a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq.
The executive editor of Ms. Magazine -- Katherine Spillar -- lashed out Monday at the Washington Post for publishing a story last week analyzing Hillary Clinton's recent hint of cleavage on the Senate floor.
Ms. Magazine's on-line petition can be read here: LINK
Friday's Washington Post story can be read here: LINK
Barack Obama is in New York Tuesday participating in an invitation-only, closed-press "Conversation on the Circle."
John and Elizabeth Edwards attend a 10:15 am ET "meet and greet" at Kitty's Soul Food in Charleston, S.C., before holding a 12:00 pm ET roundtable with environmental leaders at Carolina Seafood in McClellanville. The senator holds a media availability following the roundtable. After that, Edwards holds a 1:30 pm ET town hall meeting to discuss his plan to raise the minimum wage at Steelworkers Union Hall in Georgetown. Edwards ends his day traveling to Georgia for a 4:45 pm ET fundraiser at the Georgia Freight Depot in Atlanta.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee's 9:30 am ET hearing on the US Attorney firings and other Department of Justice oversight matters including NSA-FISA surveillance and torture.
President Bush meets and dines with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House. The meeting begins at 5:50 pm ET and dinner follows at 6:00 pm ET. Earlier in the day, Bush travels to Charleston, S.C. -- the same city where Democrats are holding their Monday night debate -- to view the loading of cargo planes for shipment to Iraq at Charleston Air Force Base at 11:00 am ET and lunch with military personnel at 11:35 am ET. First Lady Laura Bush travels to Connecticut. She reads to at Driggs Elementary School in Waterbury before touring Mark Twain House in Hartford.
A new ABC News-Washington Post poll out Monday evening finds that President Bush is facing growing disenchantment in his own party on the war in Iraq, with most Republicans now saying he's not willing enough to change his war policies.
Steny Hoyer holds his usual pen and bad briefing with reporters at 11:30 am ET on the Hill.
Orrin Hatch and civil rights advocates hold a 12:00 pm ET conference call to discuss the DC House voting rights bill.
ABC News' Rick Klein will be live blogging Monday's Democratic debate. Follow his analysis here: LINK
POLITICAL STORIES ON ABCNEWS.COM:
ABC News' Gary Langer "Experience Trumps for Clinton; 'New Direction' Keeps Obama Going"LINK
ABC News: "Digital Debate for Democratic Presidential Hopefuls"LINK
ABC News' Michael Skocay "Sheehan Affirms Intent to Run"LINK
ABC News' Kate Snow "Trucking a New Harvest to Malawi"LINK
ABC News' Martha Raddatz "President Bush's Polyps Benign"LINK
POLITICAL VIDEO ON ABCNEWS.COM:
McCain Says Campaign Is StrongLINK
Sheehan Rallies SupportersLINK
Democratic Debate PreviewLINK
YouTube Presidential DebateLINK
Energizing the Youth Vote: '18 in '08'LINK
On the Road With Bill ClintonLINK
INTERN FOR THE ABC NEWS POLITICAL UNIT:
The ABC News Political Unit is now seeking full-time unpaid fall interns in Washington, D.C.
There are a few requirements you should know about before applying for the internship.
-- You must be either a graduate student or junior or senior in college.
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-- If your school gives credit for internships, you must receive credit.
-- The internship begins Sept. 4 and runs into the middle of December.
Not only will you get to write for The Note's Sneak Peek and help us manage ABC's Political Radar, but ABC News Political Unit interns also help us by conducting research, maintaining contact lists, and attending political events.
If you write well, don't mind getting up early, and have some familiarity with web publishing, send a cover letter and resume to teddy.davis@abc.com as soon as possible, with the subject line: "INTERN" in all caps. Please indicate in your cover letter the dates you would be available.