by James Oliphant
It rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?
A liberal public-interest group is showing some of its cards for the upcoming general election by unveiling new attack ads aimed at Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota.
The ads feature the story of Lilly Ledbetter, a factory worker who was paid less than men doing the same job for 20 years. She won her pay discrimination case in a lower federal court. But Ledbetter waiting too long to bring her claim, the Supreme Court ruled last year, holding that she should have brought it within three months of time of the allegedly discriminatory act of deciding to pay her less in the first place.
The case was a 5-4 decision, written by the Supreme Court's newest justice, Samuel Alito. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented, saying that Ledbetter should have had more time to sue, because discriminatory actions based on pay disparity occur in small increments over long periods of time.
People for the American Way is going after Coleman based on his support of conservative judicial nominees such as Alito.
Here's the ad:
Why is this relevant? Because groups such as PFAW could attack John McCain in precisely the same way this summer and fall. McCain, however, will be able to point to his "Gang of 14" agreement of three years ago which broke a deadlock on nominees and perhaps showed his bipartisan bona fides (and made conservatives both frustrated and nervous).
The House last year passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to attempt to modify the statutory language that the court seized upon in its decision. The Senate is debating the bill Tuesday, with a vote set for Wednesday.
Meanwhile. Republicans, too, are trying to make some political hay out of the judges issue. Last week, Sen. Arlen Specter sent letters to Sen. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and McCain, asking whether they would work to push three three stalled GOP nominees through the Senate.
Clinton and Obama responded in strikingly similar ways, both deferring to Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in the management of court candidates. McCain, however, called for the Senate to approve the three frozen nominees, Peter Keisler to the appeals court in Washington, D.C., and Robert Conrad and Steve Matthews to the appeals court in Richmond, Va.
The Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate, Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, have agreed to a floor vote on three appeals court nominees by Memorial Day. But it's unclear who those three will be. The slate pushed by Specter and others involve judges who would sit on the D.C. Circuit and 4th Circuit, respectively, crucial judicial power centers for conservatives
Although Clinton and Obama responded in similar ways to Specter's overture, Obama was singled out for criticism by Curt Levey, executive director of the Committee for Justice, which advocates for conservative jurists. In a statement, Levey said:
Barack Obama has based his presidential campaign on ending the partisan gridlock McCain describes. Thus, it is disappointing that Sen. Obama did not take the opportunity presented by Specter's inquiry to practice bipartisanship. Obama voted against the confirmation of Justices Roberts and Alito, and it is likely that he will continue voting against most of the President's judicial nominees. However, if he is serious about rising above partisan gridlock, he should support the principle of fair up-or-down votes on the Senate floor for the nominees at issue. Instead, Obama chose to defer to Sen. Leahy's decision to bottle up the nominees in committee.
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Comments
Once again Oliphant recycles a hit-piece from a left-wing group--this time, the PFAW.
Lilly Ledbetter should be remembered--as yet another example of the left-wing attack machine, and the journalists who give such attacks free publicity.
Posted by: Bruce | April 22, 2008 2:34 PM
Lilly Ledbetter should be remembered--as yet another example of the left-wing attack machine, and the journalists who give such attacks free publicity.
Posted by: Bruce | April 22, 2008 2:34 PM
What are you crying about Brucie?
The rightwing noise machine has been reduced to nothing more than a smear merchant corp (swiftboat etc). The Republic Party can't talk about the issues because they're wrong on all of them and because they're trying to defend the Bush Presidency (McCain)...and that is nearly indefensible.
Posted by: John E | April 22, 2008 3:05 PM
Bruce,
There would be no hit piece for you to attack if women earned equal pay. That would mean you would have nothing to complain about. Are you willing to go on record and say you want unequal pay among men and women to continue???
Posted by: john | April 22, 2008 3:10 PM
As usual, the Left perpetuates a myth based on faulty science. The fact is, for comparable jobs, jobs in the same positions, etc., there is not the gap between men's and women's pay.
This article, from CNN based on a book from a former lawyer for NOW, shows the 76 cents is a myth, not reality.
http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/28/commentary/everyday/sahadi/index.htm
Posted by: John D | April 22, 2008 4:23 PM
John D- why are you incapable of telling the truth?
The article you link to does not say what you say it does.
Even the sub headline show's how you misrepresented the article.
"Much is made of the fact the men often earn more than women. Well, that's not always the case. See which occupations defy the norm."
The article points out a limited number of jobs in which women average equal pay to men.
Read this article from the same author:
http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/21/commentary/everyday/sahadi/index.htm
Hartmann believes discrimination accounts for between 25 percent and 33 percent of the wage gap. Compensation specialist Gary Thornton, a principal in the HR management consulting firm Thornton & Associates, figures at least 10 percent to 15 percent does.
Whatever the breakout, there certainly are numerous studies that show discrimination -- however unconscious -- still exists. For instance:
A recent Cornell study found that female job applicants with children would be less likely to get hired, and if they do, would be paid a lower salary than other candidates, male and female. By contrast, male applicants with children would be offered a higher salary than non-fathers and other mothers.
A recent Carnegie Mellon study found that female job applicants who tried to negotiate a higher salary were less likely to be hired by male managers, while male applicants were not.
Posted by: Lois | April 22, 2008 5:06 PM
As usual, the Left perpetuates a myth based on faulty science. The fact is, for comparable jobs, jobs in the same positions, etc., there is not the gap between men's and women's pay.
This article, from CNN based on a book from a former lawyer for NOW, shows the 76 cents is a myth, not reality.
Posted by: John D | April 22, 2008 4:23 PM
Really?
If things are going so great and the economy is just swell then why is the company that YOU work for reducing employee workweek hours and cutting corners everywhere else in order to just remain open for business, you idiot?
Posted by: John E | April 22, 2008 5:16 PM
John E , can you put a logical thought together? How does your quote of John D have anything to do at all with your response?
Oh...that's right. Your a liberal, it does not have to make sense, and we can't question it. It just is.
Posted by: Glenn | April 23, 2008 12:04 AM
"John", if the Swamp reported both sides equally, there'd be nothing for me to point out. Will you go on record as saying you want unequal Swamp reporting to go on?
Posted by: Bruce | April 23, 2008 12:40 AM
Oh Dingaling John E. I suggest you worry about your own inability to get work.Where I work? No one is having their pay cut or forced to work fewer hours.
Posted by: John D | April 23, 2008 2:06 AM
Who is Lilly Ledbetter and is she a native of Gadsden, Alabama? It does make a difference. The number of Alabama natives hired into Goodyear's management at any salary is probably vanishingly small. I have been to Gadsden. It's a place in whose surrounding countryside mainline railroad crossings are marked only with a faded street-intersection stop sign which motorists from other parts are likely not to take seriously enough to stop.
Posted by: Burke Ritchie | April 27, 2008 2:46 PM