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WASHINGTON Senate Republicans on Wednesday derailed a Democratic drive to raise the federal minimum wage, blocking a cornerstone of President Barack Obama's economic plans and ensuring the issue will be a major feature of this fall's congressional elections.

Facing the threat of a GOP takeover of the Senate, Democrats have forced votes on a procession of bills designed to amplify their message of economic fairness. Republican senators accused Democrats of playing politics by pushing a minimum-wage measure designed to lure voters but too expensive for employers and sure to result in lost jobs and higher inflation.

"This is about trying to make this side of the aisle look bad," said No. 2 Senate GOP leader John Cornyn of Texas.

The legislation, by Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, would increase the $7.25 hourly minimum wage for American workers in three steps until it reached $10.10 after 30 months. The minimum has been at $7.25 since 2009.

"The vast majority of the American people support an increase in the minimum wage," said Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, in charge of Democrats' races this year. "(Opponents will) be subject to the observation that their priorities are somehow decoupled from the priorities of the American people."

All but daring Republicans to vote against the measure, Harkin said before the vote, "Who's going to vote to give these people a fair shot at the American dream? And who's going to vote against it?"

The answer came when senators voted 54-42 to continue debating the legislation six votes short of the 60 needed to keep the measure moving forward. Every voting Republican but one Bob Corker of Tennessee voted no.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada was the only Democrat to vote with the Republicans, a procedural move that will let Reid call for another vote.

Obama reacted with pointedly political remarks at a White House event with low-wage workers.

"We saw this morning a majority of senators saying yes, but almost every Republican saying no to giving America a raise," he said.

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Senate Republicans block bill for higher minimum wage

In recent years, religious progressives have been the neglected stepsister compared to her big brother, the religious right. Big brother gets all the attention from the media, while little sister is ignored. She also goes around with a tin cup begging for nickels and dimes while big brother has lots of money to spend.

Does little sister have future?

Yes, argues William A. Galston, E.J. Dionne Jr., Korin Davis, and Ross Tilchin in Faith In Equality: Economic Justice and the Future of Religious Progressives, a report from the Brookings Institution.

For one thing, age is on the side of religious progressives. Only 36 percent of religious conservatives are under 49 years of age, as opposed to 66 percent of religious progressives. Most of religious conservatives (62 percent) are baby boomers or older. "What's clear is that the religious right is not the wave of the future," the authors write.

But they also admit that "large-scale religious disaffiliation among the young means that religious progressives do not have a foothold in the new generation comparable to the powerful sentiments in favor of religious conservatism among older Americans."

"The National Catholic Reporter is an honest place, filled with honest people. I read it regularly, especially now that we Protestants find that we love the new Pope." - Donna Schaper, contributor

Or as David E. Campbell and Robert D. Putnam explain in "God and Caesar in America," for young adults " 'religion' means 'Republican,' 'intolerant,' and 'homophobic.' Since those traits do not represent their views, they do not see themselves -- or wish to be seen by their peers -- as religious."

The report does not soft-pedal other challenges religious progressives face.

There is need to overcome the identification of "religious" with "conservative" by the media and much of the public.

There are also tensions over religion in the Democratic Party. Democrats are "often tongue-tied about faith and uneasy about discussing it in public," the Faith in Equality authors write. Some secular Democrats oppose any use of religious language.

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The political future of religious progressives

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha

A former member of the House of Representatives, Uche Onyeagucha, has stated that the All Progressives Congress will not field Muslim-Muslim candidates for 2015 presidential election.

Onyeagucha, who was the chairman of the partys state congress committee in Enugu, dismissed reports that the APC was planning to field two Muslim candidates for the election, saying those bearing such stories were only speculating.

He told our correspondent in Enugu that the APC was bent on carrying its members along at all times, and would ensure that all interests were accommodated in the countdown to picking its presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2015 elections.

If we must carry our members along, there is just no way we would field a Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket. It wont happen because the partys leaders are aware of the implications, said Onyeagucha.

He said, We wont even field a Christian-Christian ticket. Every member must be involved in picking those that would fly the partys flag at the election and ensure we come out victorious.

Onyeagucha, currently the Senior Special Assistant on Political Matters to Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, also urged members of the APC not to allow the frictions in some state chapters of the party dissuade them.

He said, What is happening is just a passing phase which we shall overcome. All members who came from the legacy parties to form the APC should realise that they must be able to accommodate members who came from other parties.

You must make sacrifices for other parties, no matter how small they might be before we incorporated them into the APC.

He added, Positions from the state to the national levels must be shared equitably between members who came from other parties and the legacy parties like the Action Congress of Nigeria, Congress for Political Change, All Nigeria Peoples Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

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APC wont field Muslim-Muslim ticket

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