I think this would be a good way to make sure that people get into politics to make things change for the better.

Lots of politicians already have money from their previous jobs as lawyers or private businessmen. The problem would be situations like Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, who bought land, lobbied to build a highway near it, then sold it for three times what he bought it for when the highway bill went through.

Politicians will be smart enough that they'll find ways around the minimum wage pay if they wanted, but it would at least function as a reminder of what most Americans have to live on.

This is a conditional yes. If they were paid so little, they would change the monetary system would have to reflect it. Politicians would never allow themselves to live in poverty and they know that minimum wage is garbage. Without the minimum wage worker, many corporations would not exist. Yet the minimum wage is not enough to realistically live on in this country. If you go somewhere housing is cheap, minimum wage is less to reflect that. Minimum wage should be enough that anyone can afford at least basic shelter and necessities with a little room for saving or emergency expenses. Not so little that you can't pay rent, much less your other bills with a month's rent.

If you wish to become a politician then you should be in there for the correct reason if this means that you have low pay then so be it. All that they need to be paid is parliamentary allowance to help them with their work instead of raking hundreds of our dollars. In the past politician have even gone without pay well i say they should stop spending our money on stupid unnecessary things like trips over seas.

I think this would be a good way to make sure that people get into politics to make things change for the better. This would also mean politicians would get into to the business for the correct reason

This is a good point. Many politicians are already wealthy from careers as lawyers or lesser politicians. And since politicians are generally made out to be selfish and all that (who knows if it's true for all of 'em?), they will no way want to live on $6.55/hour. Let's raise the minimum wage to a living wage!

Many people do not realize that many politicians make 6 figures (well over $100,000.00) a year. In addition, they continue to receive the same pay even after they are out of office as part of their retirement plan. Many politicians will make over $8,000,000.00 (yes that is 8 million) in just ten years of retirement. Most people will never see this kind of money over their entire lifetimes. If they were forced to work for minimum wage, then they would change things because they are used to living like kings and queens, literally. It would weed out the crooked ones that are only in politics for the money (which is gotten ridiculously extreme), and the ones left would be the ones there to make a difference. You say that no one in their right mind would work for minimum wage, but billions of people do it every day. They do it because they have to work and support their families, and most jobs will not pay you any more than that. They work for minimum wage because they have to. Well, politicians have to work and support their families also. If they have to work for minimum wage, then either they will change things for the better for all of us, or change careers. If the only reason some are there is for the money (which that is the case for many) then making them work for minimum wage will make them want to change careers opening a spot for someone who will do the job for the greater good. In addition, to many people are making careers out of politics (and a large reason for this is the money). However, politics is not supposed to be a career. Serving as a politician is supposed to be a service to your country. When you serve you term, you are suppose to step down to allow another person the chance to serve the country. That is why there are limits to the number of terms a person can serve. Politicians get around this by going from office to office and from state to state. Why? For the money of course. These people are greedy and have manipulated the system to work for them instead of the people they are supposed to be serving. So yes, lowering wages for politicians would solve many problems. The country would probably save billions in tax dollars that could get us jobs for this failing economy or healthcare for the billions that cannot afford it and cannot get help from the failing Medicaid system. The politicians that would run for office at minimum wage pay would do it to change things for the better because they surly would not be making lots of money.

if someone wants to give a politician a big bag of money, it's his right.

as for minimum wage, i actually sort of like that since we are the ones paying for their salaries. the only problem is that no smart person would work for minimum wage... i mean, what dumbass voluntarily does that?

but, i do think the wages should be low... cause i'm tired of getting raped in the ass with taxes. one thing to have to pay for pot holes, it's another thing to have to pay for politicians and poor people.

Everyone knows that politicians make their money by doing favors for people illegally. :)