Don't Tease Me, Democrats

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Originally uploaded by dangunderman.

Yes, I've called the Democratic Party feckless and weak and many other names too inappropriate to mention here, even though it's usually been here that I've called them those names.

About once a mid-term I find myself pleased with the Democrats. And I think maybe they're onto something here.

In a few states with close elections, Democrats have set up ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage. Since $5.15 has been the national minimum wage for eight years, and $5.15 doesn't go as far as it did in '98 (remember when you could buy a dozen Krispy Kremes, ten packs of baseball cards, and a full tank of gas for $5.15?), most sane people don't think it's unreasonable to give it a little hike. Full-time work without a vacation should pay more than $10,000 a year, a solid majority agrees.

Finally, the Democrats have some Republican candidates on the run. How can Tricky Rick Santorum justify his own pay-raise when he stands so solidly against raising the minimum wage? Ohio's Mike "I Loves Me" DeWine even voted to raise it, knowing full well that the Senate didn't have enough votes reach the necessary sixty to override a filibuster (filibustering against the poor? Genius!) Oh, I like to see stodgy white men squirm.

And there's a movement to take it further, which I wholeheartedly support. Hillary Clinton (who I've got my share of disagreements with -- hello, Iraq) and others have proposed canceling automatic (automatic!) congressional pay raises until something is done about the minimum wage, too.

It's a no-brainer issue the Democrats can win every time. Which leads me, of course, to the obvious question: How will the Democrats screw it up this time?