Is this a move to boost his chances at reelection (he's already trailing in the polls)? Or is this just a ploy? Most likely, the latter is the case. CQ Today's Midday Update (free email service) has the scoop:

Sen. Rick Santorum said today he plans to introduce a bill next week to increase the minimum wage by $1.10 over the next two years. "My sense is this is probably a good time [to increase the wage] with the economy growing the way it has," Santorum, R-Pa., said during a question and answer session at a forum on Social Security at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Republicans last year blocked Democratic attempts to increase the minimum wage, which has remained at $5.15 an hour since 1997, to $7 an hour over two years. Santorum's proposal is similar to an alternative Republican plan discussed last Congress to raise the minimum wage to a lesser amount -- Democratic aides put the figure at $6.25. But that Republican alternative was never offered as stand-alone legislation or as an amendment.

What a surprise. The only reason why Santorum is offering up this raise in the minimum wage is because the Democrats are offering up a real raise in the minimum wage.