Lot of talk about lipstick and pigs in the news. It's cute, but it doesn't ask the question, AM I BETTER OFF NOW THEN I WAS 8 YEAR AGO? If someone in the media actually focused on that question, the answer for me would be no.
So why instead is the media, why instead is the McCain campaign focused on pigs and lipstick? Are things so good for the people running John McCain's campaign that they think that the most pressing matter facing Americans are the makeup choices for SWINE???
John McCain apparently wants to position himself out as a tireless fighter against sexism, so let's go there, shall we?
As a woman, I'd like to start with the premise that I believe in equal pay for equal work. It's a simple concept really, that is that if I'm doing the same job as a man, I expect to get paid the same as a man. Unfortunately this still isn't how things are always done in the business world and a law was introduced to fix this issue. It was called the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and it would have restored rights to women and fair pay under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
So how did John McCain vote, our agent of change, our voice against sexism, our defender of women, moms and especially working moms? Well apparently at the time, financial sexism wasn't a concern for John McCain because he missed the vote and some might say the boat on this basic anti-discrimination against women law.
Maybe he was busy buying some lipstick?
No, unfortunately it seems that Mr. McCain doesn't feel that unequal pay for women is an issue of discrimination by men or companies. Mr. McCain seems to think that women making less money then men for the same work is really a matter of a lack of education and traning for women and perhaps that's why he couldn't support basic legislation supporting women and fair pay.
Yes, that's right ladies, according to John McCain, you aren't making the same $$ as a man because your education and training isn't up to snuff.
“They need the education and training, particularly since more and more women are heads of their households, as much or more than anybody else,” McCain said. “And it’s hard for them to leave their families when they don’t have somebody to take take care of them.
“It’s a vicious cycle that’s affecting women, particularly in a part of the country like this, where mining is the mainstay; traditionally, women have not gone into that line of work, to say the least,” he said.
Can we call a pig a pig here or at least name a sexist when we see one?
Can someone in the media, or maybe a working mom out there, hockey or soccer mom, I don't care, can someone explain to Mr McCain that a woman who has landed the same position as her male counterpart IS as qualified as the man, and that her receiving less pay isn't because of a lack on HER part but instead is a matter of DISCRIMINATION?
And what about in cases where even John McCain has to admit that the woman is as qualified as a man that there actually was a case of unequal pay for equal work, wouldn't our saviour of women's rights, our leader against the scourge of sexism would defend us ....right?
Weeellllll, apparently not. It seems John McCain likes the THEORY of equal rights for women but when it comes down to it, having to choose between equal pay for women or protecting the rights of a corporation, our Knight in shining armor seems to side with Goliath.
"I am all in favor of pay equity for women, but this kind of legislation, as is typical of what's being proposed by my friends on the other side of the aisle, opens us up to lawsuits for all kinds of problems," the expected GOP presidential nominee told reporters. "This is government playing a much, much greater role in the business of a private enterprise system."
So when it comes right down to it, when the chickens are coming home to roost and 'til the cows come home, either way you cut it, John McCain doesn't think that equal pay for equal work protection is an important issue or right for women.
So is Mr. John McCain so out of touch on this REAL issue of discrimination against women or is he simply a sexist pig?