It’s a classic case of “do as I say, not as I do.”

New legislation cosponsored by Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal and 22 others would raise the federal minimum wage by 107 percent to $15 an hour. Yet none of the cosponsoring senators pay their interns this hourly wage; in fact, most don’t pay them at all.

Hypocrisy aside, these senators surely understand that a $15 hourly pay requirement for internships would reduce the number of opportunities available. The same dynamic applies in the private sector, according to the best economic research — which is why a $15 federal minimum wage is such a foolish idea.