Getting so much better all the time: Senate passes Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
The Senate passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act yesterday.
Interestingly, all four female GOP senators crossed over to support the Democratic measure. That's bipartisanship I can endorse.
Photo: Lilly Ledbetter herself, speaking at the Big Tent at the DNC this summer in Colorado. Ledbetter was a longtime Goodyear factory worker who found out that she had been the victim of gender pay discrimination years earlier. She wasn't allowed to sue because she didn't learn about the discrimination until after the statute of limitations had elapsed.
During the presidential race, John McCain said he's against this bill because it will lead to lawsuits.
The problem with his position is that lawsuits are necessary to enforce laws against pay discimination.
Posted by: Eric Jaffa | January 23, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Lawsuits which result in a woman who was a victim of pay discimination receiving compensation are a good thing.
Posted by: Eric Jaffa | January 23, 2009 at 10:42 AM
I thought Lilly Ledbetter gave one of the best and most poignant speeches at the Democratic National Convention. It's about time.
Posted by: revenantive | January 23, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Equal pay bills generally poll at 80% or higher. What were the 36 Republicans thinking when they voted nay?
Posted by: Alon Levy | January 23, 2009 at 05:00 PM
What were the 36 Republicans thinking when they voted nay?
They're living in the 17th century and can't be pried loose.
McCain said he's against this bill because it will lead to lawsuits
Old rich white guys like McCain should be very very thankful we've got a system here that occasionally provides the peasants a few legal avenues of redressing their grievances as opposed to forcing them to use other means.
Posted by: cfrost | January 24, 2009 at 12:07 AM
Off topic, but wondered if you'd seen this.
gigapan of the inauguration speech. The detail is amazing.
http://gigapan.org/viewGigapanFullscreen.php?auth=033ef14483ee899496648c2b4b06233c
How it was constructed by the photographer.
http://www.davidbergman.net/blog/2009/01/22/how-i-made-a-1474-megapixel-photo-during-president-obamas-inaugural-address/
Posted by: Lesley | January 25, 2009 at 03:30 PM