In case you might have missed it:

Representative I. Gottmine

With everything else in the news, you might have missed this story (via Helen Thomas):

U.S. senators -- who draw salaries of $162,100 a year and enjoy a raft of perks -- have rejected a minimum wage hike from $5.15 an hour to $6.25 for blue-collar workers.

Can you believe it?

The proposed increase was sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and turned down in the Senate by a vote of 51 against the boost and 49 in favor. Under a Senate agreement, it needed 60 votes to pass.

All the Democrats voted for the wage boost. All the negative votes were cast by Republicans.

Four Republicans voted for it. Three of the four are running for reelection and were probably worried about how voters would react if they knew that their well-heeled senators had turned down a pittance of an increase in the salaries of the lowest paid workers in the country.

So, while the rest of the world is looking at the shenanigans of rich a-holes like Scooter Libby and Harriet Meirs, those in need are cut out of the gains once again.

During the same period since 1997, raises that the Senate has given itself bolstered senatorial pay by $28,000 a year, Kennedy said.

This means that they have given themselves raises during the same time which amount to more than the person earning the minimum wage earns in a year.

The Senate also killed an amendment proposed by Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., which also would have increased the minimum wage by $1.10 but included drastic measures such as wiping out the 40-hour work week, cutting overtime pay and weakening job safety and health protection.

So I guess we should be grateful for small favors. When will our "representatives" start representing someone other than the corporations and special interests? And the special interest they are most loyal to is themselves.