Alex Mooney Dodges Question on Minimum Wage

Republican Alex Mooney (WV-2) stood by his hard right positions this morning — on abortion, guns, coal and Obamacare.

But like his fellow West Virginia Republican — U.S. Senate candidate Shelley Moore Capito — Mooney refused to answer a question on whether he would support federal legislation to raise the minimum wage. (Last week, Capito refused to answer a question from a reporter who was asking about Capito’s position on raising the minimum wage.)

Mooney was interviewed this morning on Metronews Talkline show with Hoppy Kercheval.

Kercheval is philosophically opposed to not just raising the minimum wage, but the minimum wage itself.

“Do you support or oppose raising the minimum wage?” Kercheval asked.

“That’s really a state decision — the state can handle that,” Mooney said.

“Well, it’s a federal issue too,” Kercheval said. “The President has proposed raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. If you were in Congress, would you support or oppose it?”

“I’d have to consider it when I got there,” Mooney said. “As with all issues, it’s better to make those kinds of decisions at the local level. I will have to consider it when I get there, to see what they are proposing.”

“I’m against it,” Kercheval said. “I don’t think the state has any point in determining the value of labor. Do you have a philosophical view on it?”

“Yes, philosophically local decisions should be made locally,” Mooney said.

Earlier this year, Mooney released a poll showing him ahead of his Democratic rival Nick Casey by 10 points, with Independent Ed Rabel securing 10 percent of the vote.

But the race is tightening, with Sabato’s Crystal Ball earlier this week declaring the race a toss-up.

Rabel is the only candidate in the race who has taken a position in favor of raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.

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