An MSNBC producer published a story implying the GOP disapproves of businesses raising wages for their workers Tuesday afternoon, then quickly admitted the claim was “foolish” and issued an empty correction.
The article was by Rachel Maddow producer Steve Benen, who attempted to draw a connection between private business decisions to raise wages with Republicans’ aversion to mandating a higher minimum wage. “Congressional Republicans are in a position to block every effort to raise the federal minimum wage, but the economy is moving on without them,” Benen wrote.
A few reporters noticed:
This is an odd way to put this, @stevebenen http://t.co/uU77cRHdix
— JustinGreen∞ (@JGreenDC) February 25, 2015
This is the weirdest liberal article I’ve read in a while. http://t.co/wTVvRDZR5t I don’t even know how to respond.
— Timothy P Carney (@TPCarney) February 25, 2015
Benen quickly issued this correction:
The second paragraph originally suggested GOP lawmakers might disapprove of private-sector businesses raising their own workers’ wages, which was a foolish way to put this. Obviously, Republican lawmakers, like everyone else, want businesses to raise wages whenever they want to raise wages. I’ve edited the above text accordingly.
@JGreenDC @RBPundit Uncle. I worded this poorly. I’m updating now to clarify.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen) February 25, 2015
But the “corrected” version of the story does little to get rid of the implication that congressional Republicans are opposed to businesses raising wages. In the second paragraph Benen corrected, he points out the voluntary wage increases, and then says they will occur “regardless of Congress’s wishes.”
“Remember, as was the case with Wal-Mart, this is a done deal — it’s a private-sector move, which will occur regardless of Congress’ wishes,” he writes.
Clearly, Benen doesn’t know the difference between voluntary wage increases and wage increases mandated from Washington D.C.
This report, by Rachel Stoltzfoos, was cross-posted by arrangement with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
