The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 passed in the Senate this afternoon by a healthy 61-36 vote. The law corrects a lousy Supreme Court decision and strengthens women’s rights to sue when they face discrimination in pay. What’s interesting is that every Republican woman in the Senate voted for it and every Republican man in the Senate (except Arlen Specter) voted against it. All Democrats voted for the bill except Teddy Kennedy (who is recovering from the seizure he suffered on Tuesday), Al Franken (who still has not been allowed to take his seat), and whoever is going to replace Hillary Clinton.
If you are a semi-apathetic citizen that isn’t all that familiar with the ideologies of the two main American political parties, what do you take away from a vote like this? The Democrats unanimously support protecting women from wage discrimination. All the women in the Republican caucus agree. But only one Republican man out of the 37 that serve in the Senate supports protecting women from wage discrimination. What does that tell you?
And would it surprise you that every single one of those 37 men (except Arlen Specter) also opposes letting a woman have the right to choose whether or not to carry a pregnancy to term, most of them without any regard to health considerations?
It would appear to me that the Republican Party is dominated by patriarchal assholes. Any casual observer would likely agree.
In which the party of angry old white men reaffirms its core principles.
‘you’ll get paid what we tell you you’ll get paid, bitch!’
“If you want that check, first you go down.”
How many women have had to endure that to feed their children? I guess those patriarchs would say, “Not enough.”
yes, they are all douchebags.
also, the sun rose in the east today.
I’d be willing to amend the Endangered Species Act to allow cranky old fuck Republicans to perish from the Earth.
“Progressive” = “What I believe in. No one else’s opinion matters.”
Q. E. D.
Well, things like this just continue to confirm that the Republican Party really has no moderates left. They are simply a far right party and that is where they wish to stay. So until the majority of the country’s electorate is once again enamored by imaginary threats from “teh gay”, dark skinned illegals, loss of their assault weapons, women choosing what to do with their bodies and
the perceived culture wars against Christians across the land, they will continue to wander around aimlessly. Out of step with the country as a whole and incapable of mounting any kind of cohesive advancement of their agenda, whatever that might be.
They are behaving exactly like the recently departed standard-bearer of their party. The guy with the 22% approval rating. They just can’t give it up. It’s the only way they know. And somehow, they continue to think that this is going to work for them.
I say, “Keep on hammerin’, guys. If you just continue following the obstinate example set by #43 I’m sure you’ll soon find your mojo”. Look at what a high note Georgie went out on. I’m sure you can do just as well.
We can only hope.
“If you are a semi-apathetic citizen that isn’t all that familiar with the ideologies of the two main American political parties, what do you take away from a vote like this?”
I would assume if male: “What? Women aren’t discriminated against, coddling Dems!”
This is a good bill. I don’t care about the A-Holes, they are out of power. I am celebrating this vote.
Hey girls, time to work with guys who care and write kaput on the political careers of those cranky old Republicans. How sad and pathetic can one get? Just ask any of those thirty-seven senators who voted in the negative.
I wonder what the female constituents of these Republican senators think of a vote like this.
What does the party of the wide stance care about anything female?