I called Joe Miller's Anchorage campaign office, and was greeted with a female's voice. I asked her how Joe Miller views the minimum wage and whether he thinks it should be raised. She said she would rather have me speak to someone else on the matter. So she gave the phone to some guy, who turned out to be Joe Miller's father.
Oh, that was a surprise. He seemed like a nice guy, so I asked him the same question:
"How does Joe Miller view the minimum wage, and does he think it should be raised?"
He responded with a bunch of gobbledygook about how he doesn't agree with the federal government and it's overreaching arms. It's out of control spending etc. You know the talking points, but he stumbled when he said the federal government tries to make every state have the same minimum wage.
I told him this isn't true because for instance, Alaska has a minimum wage of $7.25, but the federal minimum wage is $5.15. (But I've been corrected myself that the fed minimum wage is actually 7.25 and Alaska's is 7.75 thanks to the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007.) I also tell him that states have the right to maintain their own minimum wages. He stuttered a bit and conceded to that fact, but tried to move on to more federal government talking points. He mentioned Social Security and I asked "Does he want to do away with it like the other Tea Party Republican candidates?"
He said no, then went on to tell me that he, Joe Miller's father, is on Social Security benefits and that was the only way he could come up from Kansas to help out with his campaign. That shocked me. I didn't quite understand the cover up for his son, he basically said S.S is bankrupt and wants to privatize it. He made himself look completely foolish with his admission that he's the father of a man who aligns himself with people who want to abolish Social Security, or privatize it and put it in the hands of corporations. When this government program is the very thing, the only thing, bringing in income for him.
Besides that, there was a period where I didn't hear him because I had to go grab my babies, a 1 and 2 year old, who had just got into the refrigerator, causing mayhem. When I came back he was still there and he hit a nerve when he started up again.
He mentioned Obamacare and how it's so unconstitutional, and needs to be repealed. How dozens of states are filing lawsuits against HCR, saying it is unconstitutional. I responded by asking if it's a coincidence that majority of these states have Republican AG's all lining up for political points. He didn't really agree by saying that there are some Democrats who are suing the Feds over HCR.
Funny, first he said Obamacare, but after I had put emphasis on saying Health Care Reform, he changed his tune and dropped the Obamacare line and started saying HCR too.
I asked him, that since the Constitution is over 200 years old, shouldn't it be adapted and modified to today's modern society. My example was that the Constitution didn't have mega corporations legally bribing politicians for favors. He agreed with me on that and brought up his own example.
He mentioned how someone said to him "The Air Force is unconstitutional!" He says that it isn't because it's an armed service that originated from the Army. That the Constitution mentions it in passing and connected that to the Air Force.
So I asked him, since in the Constitution it mentions "Promoting the general welfare of the people," doesn't HCR promote the general welfare? So by your logic, HCR isn't unconstitutional because it ties directly into the Constitution by promoting the general welfare."
He stuttered and sputtered and had nothing to say but "I understand" and "I concede to your point." He then closed our conversation and we said our respective farewells before hanging up the phone. He seemed like he was in a mood of contemplation.
It felt funny, and good at the same time.
Check this link out by the way: Things That Are Not In the U.S. Constitution. In case anybody hits you with one of those arguments.
Update: Wow, thanks everybody for putting this on the rec list, seriously, that was the last thing I expected. I usually like to look for discussions and whatever insightful comments I can get, and thanks to the many commenters in this thread, I received them. Thank you again!