The Senate debate on S.2, the Minimum Wage bill, is all over but the shouting. Doing most of the shouting at this point is Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ), who is merely delaying the inevitable by insisting on floor votes -- expected today -- on up to six amendments, most relating to small business expensing and depreciation treatment of leasehold, restaurant, and retail space improvements.

In an interview with BNA($) yesterday, House Ways and Means chair Charles Rangel (D-NY) indicated a willingness to consider a compromise on the $8.3 billion tax cut package the Senate seems certain to attach to its version of the minimum wage bill. As noted below, on Jan. 10 the House passed H.R. 2, a "clean" wage increase bill that attracted the support of 82 GOP House members. Yesterday, the Senate voted 87-10 to limit debate and amendments on a version of H.R. 2 that contains the $8.3 in small business tax breaks and revenue offsets approved by the Senate Finance Committee Jan. 17.

This LA Times editorial asserts that the Supreme Court should rule that the group Wisconsin Right to Life (WRTL) was deprived of their free speech rights after being prohibited from airing certain ads before the 2004 election. The editorial suggests that Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. may change the 2003 Supreme Court decision that upheld the ban on electioneering communications ban, giving political speech "breathing room."