Candidates Don't Know—But Don't Like—Minimum Wage

None of the three Republicans running in Missouri's Senate primary know the state's minimum wage, but they definitely don't want it raised, CBS St. Louis reports. Appearing on KMOX radio, former state treasurer Sarah Steelman, Rep. Todd Akin, and businessman John Brunner appeared stumped when asked about the minimum wage. Steelman guessed it was $7.50. Akin said his "guess is it's somewhere in the six or seven, but I don’t know the exact number right now." Brunner simply passed.

The state's actual minimum wage is $7.25, and none of the candidates liked it. Steelman said it can prevent young people from finding work because employers aren't allowed to "pay a lower wage." (Daily Kos takes a shot at that argument.) Brunner said when he ran a business he always paid workers "above the minimum wage" because he wanted the best people. Akin dismissed the minimum wage altogether, calling it "just another example of a wrong thing that the government does.” (In another shot from the left, ThinkProgress explains their ignorance by noting they're all too wealthy "to be anywhere near" the minimum wage.)