Once upon a time, the Senate passed legislation with a simple majority. Those times are long past, since Republicans have refined the art of the filibuster into a finely-tuned weapon of middle-class destruction.

Wednesday's vote on a minimum wage increase to $10.10 per hour would have passed, but for the fact that it takes 60 votes to pass anything in the Senate these days. President Obama was not pleased about the party-line failure to pass the increase, putting the blame right where it belonged.

"If your member of Congress doesn't support raising the minimum wage, you gotta let them know they're out of step and if they keep putting politics ahead of working Americans, you'll put them out of office," Obama said.

"So my message to the American people is this – do not get discouraged by a vote like the one we saw this morning. Get fired up, get organized, get your voices heard."

Republicans argue raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour would damage the nation's fragile recovery. Several GOP lawmakers took note of fresh economic data released Wednesday indicating the economy grew at a sluggish 0.1% in the first quarter of 2014.

Memo to Republicans: Yes, the economy is sluggish because no one has any money to spend. Just sayin'.

Ted Cruz was especially sanctimonious on this vote, claiming he was doing it for all the teenagers who won't have jobs when their cheap employers let them go. As if somehow the demand for flipping burgers will diminish with more money to spend?

We all know who Ted Cruz serves with slavish sociopathic devotion. But in case you've forgotten who opposes the minimum wage and isn't afraid to spend billions to block it, watch this, courtesy of the Charles Koch Foundation: