john mccain politics presidential candidates republicans: CREDO fair pay act fair pay bill gender equality john mccain lilly ledbetter sexism take action
by Blabby

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Sign the petition…
I went on a little tirade a couple days ago regarding John McCain’s sexist statement that women just need more “training and education” - not equal pay or the ability to fight for it. In my inbox today was a petition. The Fair Pay bill will be revoted soon - let your Senators know how you feel:
Subject: Tell McCain: Stop insulting women
Dear Friend,
Last Wednesday, Senate Republicans filibustered the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a law that would have overturned an appalling Supreme Court decision that practically abolished remedies for gender-based compensation discrimination in the workplace. In opposing this legislation, Senator John McCain said that if women want better-paying jobs, they just need more “education and training.” Then, he didn’t even show up for the vote.
Let’s tell Senator McCain that should stop blocking an up or down vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act if he wants to ensure equal rights for women under the law.
Please have a look and take action.
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/mccain_vs_ledbetter/?r_by=-1589106-Mt_SAb&rc=paste
Thanks!
john mccain presidential candidates republicans: fair pay bill gail collins john mccain justice alito lilly ledbetter new york times republicans supreme court working women
by Blabby

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McCain v. Women
Lilly Ledbetter was voted against in the Supreme Court for waiting too long to say she was paid less than her male co-workers. Then congress just voted down the Fair Pay bill, which would have provided more opportunities for restitution for someone like Lilly - who’s case was lost on what seems to me to be a sad technicality.
I hope my Republican friends are following this - especially the women. Here’s a good op-ed column from the New York Times by Gail Collins, summing up the whole shebang.
Here’s a quote to whet your whistle - McCain’s response to women not receiving fair pay in the workplace. Or rather, a national average of .77 on every $1. (And that’s just white women, African American women and Latinas earn even less!)
Having delivered his objections to the Ledbetter bill this week, McCain went on to tell reporters that what women really need is “education and training, particularly since more and more women are heads of their households, as much or more than anybody else. And it’s hard for them to leave their families when they don’t have somebody to take care of them.”
It’s hard for them to leave their families when they don’t have someone to take care of them? Does he mean children? Or does he mean the women need someone to take care of them? It’s annoying - whatever he meant. Women don’t need more training. If, like Ledbetter, they’re doing the same work for less pay, that’s unfair, and it’s gender discrimination, which is SUPPOSEDLY illegal in this freakin’ country!
Here’s another good story about the same issue, from Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick.