Three Strikes and You're Out?

There is a Radio New Zealand report that Eni has asked the Interior Department to help the U.S. labor Department with its study of the effect of wage hikes in American Samoa. Political analysts say they believe he is looking for someone to blame if DOL's report doesn't stop future increases in the territory's minimum wage. Eni's credibility was badly hurt in January when his ally, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, essentially threw him under the bus. First he asked AS to be exempted from the wage increase. When that failed he asked the House to put American Samoa under a wage review board along with Northern Marianas. He lost both rounds, even though his party is in charge of both Houses. Now he is opposing a second hike due next year unless Congress changes the law. The Labor Department findings are critical to that. Three strikes in a row could affect his political survival.