Marsha Blackburn ~ Women Don't Want a Law for Equal Pay

From Talking Points Memo

In a panel on NBC's "Meet The Press" discussing new statistics showing women are increasingly the primary breadwinners in American families, David Axelrod asked Blackburn if she would support workplace gender equality legislation. The Tennessee representative responded by insinuating that such legislation would be condescending to a woman already qualified for a position on the basis of her skills alone.

"You know, I’ve always said that I didn’t want to be given a job because I was a female, I wanted it because I was the most well-qualified person for the job," Blackburn said. "And making certain that companies are going to move forward in that vein, that is what women want. They don’t want the decisions made in Washington. They want to be able to have the power and the control and the ability to make those decisions for themselves."

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The only reason this woman gets re-elected is because of her re-drawn district lines... from East Memphis to Kentucky, with a left turn in Nashville-- the only (R) part of Nashville. The Bachmann of the South-- bat$#it crazy.
~ Jules on Sodahead

Gerrymandered


This lady does not have a clue about the real world. However its the folks that keep electing her that are lost in space somewhere. I suggest that had she lived in the 1860's she would have said that its the slave owners that need to take care of their slaves. One out of touch lady from the elitist class. God bless her.
~ Frank E. on The Nashville Tennessean

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha.....WHY can't regressives get on the positive side of history?
~ Twinertia on Topix Politix

Then I'm sure she won't mind taking a voluntary reduction of her $174,000 salary
~ Michael N. on Talking Points Memo

She may look like and idiot and sound like an idiot, but don't let that fool you, she really IS an idiot. [Thx to Groucho Marx]
~ Iron Bullwinkle on Talking Points Memo

I guess since Bachman is leaving, someone has to drive the clown car.
~ Yikes11 on Huff Post

Marsha (Real Housewife of Dixie) Blackburn actually voted AGAINST pay fairness measures for women...she also voted AGAINST the violence against women act...is she so daft to realize that she gained from trailblazing laws in the early, mid and late 20th century? Blackburn is beyond a joke
~ freefreememe on Huff Post

What is the ultimate irony here? This woman wouldn't be where she is today without the women's liberation movement. She has profited off activist women's work, yet she refuses to pick up that banner herself. What an ungrateful, TYPICAL conservative mouthpiece. If she were a dog, I'm quite sure she'd eat her own young for a scrap.
~ Keri A. on Addicting Info

Doofus Todd Akin Versus "Wildcat" McCaskill

I think we have a very clear path to victory, and apparently Claire McCaskill thinks we do, too, because she was very aggressive at the debate, which was quite different than it was when she ran against Jim Talent. She had a confidence and was much more ladylike (in 2006), but in the debate on Friday she came out swinging, and I think that's because she feels threatened."
~ Todd Akin in Jefferson City, Missouri

The first two minutes, wow, it's like somebody let a wildcat out of the cage. She was just furious and attacking in every different direction, which was a little bit of a surprise to us.
~ Todd Akin talking with supporters in Rolla, Missouri


If you look at some of the things that Todd Akin has said over the years, I mean, he's said things like in the heart of liberalism is a hatred of God. He has been a handful of votes against things like the sex offender registry, and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. I mean, this is somebody who kind of makes Michele Bachmann look like a hippie.
. . . I don't know exactly what his accusation that I'm not ladylike means. I think the debate was tough for Todd because I went through the list of his very, very extreme positions and I think he maybe wasn't prepared to answer some of that.
~ Claire McCaskill on Morning Joe

Todd Akin is at it again with another comment that's demeaning to women and offensive to all. What's truly astonishing is that the national party embraced Todd Akin yesterday and now refuses to repudiate his statement. Unless the national party condemns Todd Akin and his latest comments, every Republican candidate in the country will be held accountable for their support of of Akin's beliefs and sentiments.
~ Senator Patty Murray of Washington


TPM: Akin Suggests Employers Should Pay Women Less

AUDIENCE MEMBER: You voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Why do you think it is okay for a woman to be paid less for doing the same work as a man?

AKIN: Well, first of all, the premise of your question is that I'm making that particular distinction. I believe in free enterprise. I don't think the government should be telling people what you pay and what you don't pay. I think it's about freedom. If someone what’s to hire somebody and they agree on a salary, that's fine, however it wants to work. So, the government sticking its nose into all kinds of things has gotten us into huge trouble.

First, Todd Akin said Claire's not 'ladylike' because she's standing up for working families, now he's opposed to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay act because he believes employers should have the freedom to discriminate against their female employees. Once again, it's clear that the problem isn't what Todd Akin says, the problem is what Todd Akin believes.
~ McCaskill spokeswoman Caitlin Legacki, via TPM

Wow. Aiken's on fire this week. Party like it's 1905!
~ comment by Joshua Z. on Talking Points Memo

Todd Akin's mind is like a book of Mad Libs, except everything he says revolves around hating vajayjays.
~ comment by 365 Days of Horror on Talking Points Memo

His ignorant comments to date reflect that not only does he have no clue about female anatomy, he also has no clue about our brains. I would say that his comments are very unmasculine, but I think the sad truth is they aren't. They are very "masculine." They reflect a stereotype of the typical, misogynistic attitude of men of a certain age and value system.
The fact is, men like Akin had their turn. This is a new time for men, and as angry as I am on behalf of my daughter because obviously his comments hurt all girls, I am also mad on behalf of my son. I don't want my son thinking that the only way to be a man is to keep women in a box.
~ Sasha Brown-Worsham on The Stir

I just think that this is not a winnable race. We have to make tough calculations based on limited resources and where to allocate it, where it will have the best likelihood of electing a Republican senator.
~ Senator John Cornyn of Texas, Head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, saying he doesn't think Akin can win, via Politico

All of this – the belief that some rape victims are more legitimate than others, the hostility toward women who are "aggressive" and "unladylike", the refusal to protect women from violence if those women are immigrants or lesbians – reflects the GOP's fundamental view that women are not equal citizens. The entire Republican social platform is structured around the idea of the "traditional family", where men are in the public sphere as breadwinners and heads of households, and women stay in private, taking care of children and serving as helpmeets to their husbands. The conservative worldview sees men as naturally in charge, and women as naturally nurturing and supportive of male authority.
~ Jill Filipovik on Guardian UK

Paul Ryan's Problem with Women

Paul Ryan is very pleased with himself that he voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. That’s for families. That’s voting against American families, and American families right to get what they’re legally earning and entitled to under the law. And he’s also going to do away with Medicare, Social Security . . .
. . . Paul Ryan scares me to death. I did not like to hear him when he was just a Congressman. The way he would talk about cut, cut, cut. We Americans in this country in middle class and down, we will not survive.
~ Equal Pay Activist Lily Ledbetter on MSNBC's Last Word

Lawrence O'Donnell: I haven't heard a word from any operatives about how they think Paul Ryan helps them with the gender gap.
Irin Carmon of Salon.com: I think they've probably hung up and they're gone. They're just going home on that one. I think . . . maybe they think women will find him cute? At this point all it's really done is energized women. Single women in particular who are going to be a crucial swing vote.
He's turned into a meme. He has a hashtag. All these people who might have sat this out are making fun of Paul Ryan. Or the fact that we've been hearing about Ayn Rand all week, we should also be hearing about The Handmaid's Tale, which is basically if you look at Paul Ryan's voting record, the vision that he has for women.
MSNBC's Last Word

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Paul Ryan is a theocratic, patriarchal misogynist. He has appointed himself to rule your world. Tell Paulie no thanks. act.weareultraviolet.org/signup/paulrya…
— L'Etat C'est Moi (@letat_lechat) August 14, 2012

Mitt #Romney made another choice against women by picking Paul Ryan for VP bit.ly/P1qp9k #women2012
— Planned Parenthood (@PPact) August 16, 2012

Sandra Fluke: "Ryan’s record on women’s issues is so far outside the mainstream that many find it unbelievable." j.mp/P1lAgc
— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) August 16, 2012

Andrea Mitchell on Paul Ryan: "This is not a pick for women." Another reason to vote #Obama2012
— Michael Crawford (@dmcrawford) August 11, 2012

Romney and Ryan Believe Women are Nothing More than Breeders . . . His choice of a running mate, Paul Ryan, appeals to the insane misogynistic faction of the Republican Party, more so than Governor Romney. The combination of the two simply drags women back to the days of second class citizenship, with the probable resurgence of back-alley abortions.
~ VegaJessie.com

@morningmika Mika I wonder why Ryan & his wife dont have 8 or 10 kids? Mite Mrs. Ryan use <GASP!> birthcontrol? Cant believe u support them!
— Ms .H (@makenARTISGOOD) August 15, 2012

A woman just asked me if #Ryan was such a good #Catholic how only 3 children #Birthcontrol? Does his gov Health Care cover?
— Hal Donahue (@haldonahue) August 13, 2012

Paul Ryan sponsored a bill to BAN in vitro fertilization! He also wants to BAN most methods of birth control including the pill! It's 1955.
— Stephanie Fredricks (@stephfredricks) August 13, 2012

@michelle9647 @gop Mittens mocked question in debate on outlawing birth control, 'no one wants that' then nominates VEEP who wants that.
— MargoArrowsmith (@MargoArrowsmith) August 15, 2012

I wonder whether Paul Ryan realizes that granting personhood to embryos means allpregnant women get an extra tax deduction?
— David Lubar (@davidlubar) August 13, 2012

Paul Ryan supports "fetal personhood." Which means unborn babies can get gun licenses.
— Elaine Liner (@ElaineLiner) August 12, 2012

So do I have to surrender my IUD now or after the election? #PaulRyan #personhood
— Amy Phillips Bursch (@APBBlue) August 11, 2012