Workers of the world (OK, the U.S.), rejoice! Your minimum wage went up this week.

"Minimum wage, by the way, goes up tomorrow to $6.55," Anderson Cooper told the Democratic presidential debate crowd on Monday. "In 2009, it will be $7.25."

The subsequent exchange resulted in wealthy pols trying to pander to the working class. "If you're elected to serve," a Pennsylvanian pair had asked, "would you be willing to do this service for the next four years and be paid the national minimum wage?" Sen. Barack Obama gave a thoughtful answer, saying for himself and his fellow candidates that "we can afford to work for the minimum wage because most folks on this stage have a lot of money." He added that "we don't have Mitt Romney money" but "could afford to do it for a few years. Most folks can't."

Obama's frankness and humor are appreciated. Maybe they will translate into more public approval for the Illinois hopeful.

Victory on a key item in the Democratic agenda might taste a little bitter to Democrats, coming as it is with Bush's sought-after funding for Iraq. But at least now they can say that they can cross something of the list of must-do's.

I knew that the minimum wage was attached to the Iraq funding bill. But I also knew that a big obstacle was tax breaks to offset the higher prices for small businesses that the minimum wage would produce. The obstacle was resolved, in the usual political fashion, with no one getting what they wanted.

Those concerns delayed passage of the wage hike for months, as Republicans and conservative Democrats in the Senate battled Democrats in the House, who at first insisted that affected businesses get nothing. In March, Democrats tacked the wage issue onto the Iraq spending bill in hopes of breaking the logjam.

The two chambers finally struck a compromise last month that includes tax breaks worth $4.8 billion over 10 years, more than the House wanted but much less than the Senate had sought.

It seems that the scandals or moral problems just keep on coming. The Bush Presidency has more stains than the old tie of a slob. The most recent stain is the result of Paul Wolfowitz, the president of the World Bank. He holds a position that all the countries of the world look at. He represents the United States of America and the administration of President George W. Bush. Paul is also known for the Wolfowitz Doctrine.

Today, 24 executive directors will meet. They cleared out their weekly agenda to discuss what action to take over a pay and favoritism scandal that has engulfed the former Pentagon deputy chief. His crime? "In 2005, he personally ordered a hefty pay package worth nearly 200,000 dollars and guaranteed promotions for his girlfriend at the bank, Shaha Riza." The raise was about $50,000. Footnote: Bush is opposed to the minimum wage increase.

Our allies are encouraging him to resign. However, much like Alberto Gonzales, we have another Bush appointee that has no shame. He will continue because he is backed by the most powerful man in the world. His scandal is just another Bush stain.

It's time for a new tie.

Republicans, much to my surprise and pleasure, have really out-manuevered the Democrats in the battle over a destructive increase in the federal minimum wage.

An effort to increase the minimum wage in all states, even those that already have wage floors higher than the federal base, failed Thursday after Democrats labeled it a "poison pill."

Democrats said the Republican proposal was designed to kill underlying minimum wage legislation.

An amendment offered by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., was an effort to show how raising the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 over 26 months would have no effect in eight states because they already have wage floors of $7.25 or higher. Another two states have scheduled minimum wage increases that also would place them above the proposed federal floor.

Eighteen other states have higher minimum wages than the current federal floor, but not as high as the $7.25 in the proposed legislation.

"This is a mandate on low-cost-of-living states, but not on high-cost-of-living states," DeMint said.

Perhaps by the end of the debate people will understand why a federal minimum wage increase is a bad idea.

VIDEO: DeMint explains his amendement