The Senate voted 73-25 to start debate on S. 2199, the Paycheck Fairness Act; this is very likely mere prelude to another filibuster, as with S.J.Res. 19, but we might as well tell our Senators to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, as the National Women's Law Center helps you do. Wasn't Marco Rubio (E-FL) telling us last year that passing the Paycheck Fairness Act wouldn't help anyone but trial lawyers? Well, that's sort of the price we pay for having a law-and-order society -- when good Americans seek redress for crimes inflicted upon them, trial lawyers tend to be nearby, and complaining about that is a little like complaining that the sun is hot. And I can imagine, with ridiculous ease, people other than trial lawyers benefiting from the Paycheck Fairness Act: when corporations can't pay women less than men except based on "bona fide" factors like education and experience, when corporations can't retaliate against folks who ask their co-workers about their pay rate, when victims can band together in class action lawsuits, it seems to me like everyone benefits, except, you know, wrong-doers.
Meanwhile, President Obama addressed the nation last night about his plans to bomb Syria and Iraq, and apparently he's only going to ask Congress for authorization to train Syrian rebels to fight ISIS. Boy, it sure is a good thing that has never blown up in our faces before. (COUGH! Osama bin Laden COUGH!) Anyway, Mr. Obama seems determined to be outclassed by Mr. Bush yet again -- Mr. Bush and his cronies may have warmongered the American people mercilessly in the winter of 2002 into 2003, but at least he asked for Congressional authorization for his Iraq adventure; Mr. Obama, it seems, can't be bothered with the drama of all that. But it's not up to him -- it's up to Congress, hence the Friends Committee on National Legislation helps you tell your Congressfolk to reject more war in Iraq and Syria. Bombing the crap out of everything got us into this mess; it's absurd to think bombing the crap out of everything again is going to get us out. Diplomacy, which must necessarily involve the other nations of the region stepping up, might just get us out. If we're strong enough, that is.
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