Rick Berg, GOP Senate Candidate In North Dakota, Stumped On Minimum Wage (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Rick Berg (R-N.D.), who is running for the state's open U.S. Senate seat, was caught off guard when approached by a voter who wanted to know the state's minimum wage.

In the exchange, posted by the North Dakota Democratic Party, a young woman approaches Berg at a campaign event and asks him what the minimum wage is in the state.

"Hmmm," Berg replies. He then points to someone standing nearby and says, "This guy would know."

"I think it's probably seven something," he adds. "It depends -- they don’t have a minimum wage for waitresses in North Dakota."

They then ask someone else. That person says it's the same as the federal minimum wage, and asks Berg, "You know what that is?"

"Oh! Put it back on my shoulders!" the congressman jokingly replies.

The minimum wage in North Dakota is $7.25 an hour, which is the same as the federal minimum wage.

Senate candidates are increasingly being tripped up on minimum wage questions. At a recent Missouri GOP Senate debate, the four candidates vying for a chance to challenge Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) did not know the amount of the minimum wage. They opposed raising it, however.

Berg voted against raising the minimum wage while in the state legislature in 1999, 2005 and 2007. In 2003, he also voted against a bill that would have required government contractors to pay a living wage.

When considering a proposal to raise the state minimum wage from $4.75 to $5.15 an hour in January 1997, the Bismark Tribune reported that Berg responded, "You would say that government should control that choice rather than the employer?"

He has, however, voted repeatedly to increase the salary of state lawmakers. Berg was the 14th richest member of the U.S. House in 2010, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that tracks money in politics.

Berg is expected to face off against Democrat Heidi Heitkamp in the November election. The race will likely be tight, and Republicans and Democrats are spending on ads.

"It's fair to say that Rick Berg has spent too much time in Washington if he can't name the minimum wage," said Brandon Lorenz, spokesman for Heitkamp's campaign. "But that's no surprise from someone with a history of looking out for millionaires like himself, by voting for the Ryan budget that cuts taxes for the wealthy and raises Medicare premiums."

Berg's campaign did not return a request for comment.

Comments

[Mjlew]

01:29 PM on 05/12/2012

Incompetant liars, that do what ever their masters on Wall st tell them, that is the teabaggers candidate.

[mick e]

10:20 PM on 05/08/2012

That'll teach him to read the memo from the Koch bros, before he has the audacity to speak into a microphone.

[Taxman1]

10:15 PM on 05/08/2012

Here's a congressman who comes from a state where the per capita income ranked it 42nd in the United States (2000 census data). Now wouldn't you think that the people of this state would have some expectation that their congressman might have some understanding as to "why" they rank 42nd with a per capita hourly wage of about $1 above the federal minimum wage? I guess what he doesn't know, he doesn't have to tell his constituents. Ignorance is bliss as they say. North Dakota must be the land of bliss. (To the detriment of North Dakotans and benefit of their Republican masters.)

[thatmanbehindthecurtain]

01:01 AM on 05/22/2012

We, THE PEOPLE of North Dakota, threw out two long serving democrats in 2010. (including the jerk from my home town) The third and final advocate for socialism in our state's federal delegation saw the writing on the wall and knew his fate would be sealed in similar fashion this year, and the slimebag didn't even have the balls to run. North Dakota has the LOWEST unemployment rate in the nation. It has the LOWEST mortgage foreclosure rate in the nation. It has the LOWEST credic card default rate in the nation. North Dakota not only has a balanced budget but a significant budget SURPLUS AND a large "rainy day fund" North Dakota has a pretty low crime rate, safe streets, and pretty good schools where teachers can't get away with blatant Obama worship like in North Carolina. Of course all that has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the fact that our State's Governor and legislature is OVERWHELMINGLY conservative Republican. NOOO, no cause and effect relationship there!!! NO WAY!!! Keep drinking all that liberal democrat kool aid.

[RepublicanDepression]

10:00 PM on 05/08/2012

Rick "Let them eat funnel cake" Berg, GOP (Greedy One Percent).

[Elizabeth Walton]

08:26 PM on 05/08/2012

anyone voting on minimum wage should have to live on it for a month.

[Rightbrainedleftwinged]

06:22 PM on 05/08/2012

His opponent will work her butt off trying to get a good ground game going, and raise lots of money from donors. Berg and his tea party machine of contributors will likely run thousands of attack ads against her, slander her, and call her pro-abortion, and supports that Islamic president born in kenya who should be tried for treason.

Heitcamp will spend lots of money to use facts, and Berg will continue his crazy conspiracy theories and spend more of his unlimited money, and tell voters who earn about 20,000 a year that Obama will come for your guns, your unborn fetuses and take your kids away if you spank them. They will do everything to spend tons of money.

Bill Clinton will come and stump for her, and election night, Berg will win by 3 points. ND would then by completely sold out to corporate greed.

[Rightbrainedleftwinged]

06:19 PM on 05/08/2012

Yeah, this is one guy who needs to be kept out of the senate. ND sounds like a total loss for the Democrats with Obama's approval at 34 percent, but if Democrats can have a good grassroots ground game, and focus on the pretty good track record of moderates like Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan. Berg is clearly bought be the tea baggers. He'd put his state last and his Koch friends first.

[Sinister Minister]

11:46 AM on 05/08/2012

They only know what the lobbyists and their corporate backers tell them and when it comes to minimum wage they are told it's too much.

[WESTistheman]

11:01 AM on 05/08/2012

Most Democrats know the minimum wage because they settle for the minimum, Republicans may not know it because they seek the potential wage which is determined by their potential and ambition.

[Mac1000]

11:30 AM on 05/08/2012

What?!

[nb7264]

11:43 AM on 05/08/2012

Based on your convoluted logic, I assume you're unemployed.

[WESTistheman]

02:06 PM on 05/08/2012

Self employed for 20 years. In case you were going to attack me on education. I have a 4 year degree. In case you were then going to attack me on religious grounds, I am agnostic. In case you were going to attack me on the abortion issue, I am pro choice. Okay embark on your next attack.

[rschli7137]

10:58 AM on 05/08/2012

This is nothing new for these out of touch Republicans. Many years ago a Republican lawmaker was asked if he knew the price of a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread, He had no clue, so he made up a wild answer, which was way, way off.

[sackman]

10:56 AM on 05/08/2012

What ever minimum wage is ,It far too low .............Obama 2012......

[speechteach]

10:47 AM on 05/08/2012

Instead of answering the young woman's question, he turned to shake hands with our governor, Dalrymple, who I hope is unseated this fall by Ryan Taylor. Berg is very adept at talking around a question. For example, at one town hall meeting, he stated he hadn't voted for the Ryan plan, but voted for the Republican budget plan. Upon repeated questioning and attempts to remind him it was one and the same, he finally buckled and admitted it was the Ryan plan. Then he tried to convince us he hadn't voted for a voucher system for Medicare. Finally, someone called him on it and said premium supports are vouchers, so he had to admit that he had. He does one thing in D.C. and tries to spin it back home.

[JonnyLogic]

10:45 AM on 05/08/2012

Minimum isnt in his vocab.

[MyNameIsMickey]

10:41 AM on 05/08/2012

Don't know what the minimum wage is, but they do know its too much.

[speechteach]

10:39 AM on 05/08/2012

I'm ashamed to admit that Berg is my Representative, noting however, that I actively campaigned against him. I have the distinct honor of making him angry at a town hall meeting by bringing up his connection to the Koch brothers money. I'm actively campaigning and contributing to the Heidi Heitkamp's campaign. She is an intelligent, fairly moderate candidate who grew up working hard on her family's farm. She's a former state AG and is tenacious! I even talked to a diehard Republican on my block who is voting for Heidi because, in his words, "can't stand Berg!" She has a good chance.

[GHY1]

09:45 PM on 05/08/2012

Keep up the good work don't let the Koch brothers buy peoples vote and use false advertising. I hope more people will turn away from the republican party I used to be republican then turned independent and now am democrat