KY GOPer On GENDER Discrimination: I'll Believe In It WHEN I SEE IT.

[Segami]

" In Kentucky, one Republican is standing firm against the concept of gender discrimination. Todd Lally, insurgent GOP nominee for Congress in the state's 3rd Congressional District, says he's never personally seen women be discriminated against -- and therefore, he says, gender discrimination may not exist at all.


Even in this so-called Year Of The Woman in politics, the vast majority of women casting ballots this year will find themselves choosing between two men to represent them in elected office. And in Kentucky, the choice includes one man who seems to base his entire knowledge of women's professional lives on the experience of his very successful wife and his own workplace observations.


The Democrat in the race, incumbent Rep. John Yarmuth, is making hay out of Tally's position, recently calling him out at a televised debate with facts and figures about women in Kentucky workplaces. Lally's response at the debate was essentially to shrug his shoulders and again say he doesn't know from gender discrimination.


The question of gender roles in Kentucky came up in an Oct. 11 debate between the 3rd Congressional District candidates on the state's public television network. The topic was raised by one of those female voters both Tally and Yarmuth will be relying on to win Nov. 2. Here's how that sounded:



It is well known that we are the third-worst state for women to live in the nation. We rank at the bottom third of the nation in terms of health and well-being, equity, political leadership and education. I'd like to ask each gentleman what they have in their platform to address these disparities?
Lally offered his take on gender disparity, which can be broken down thusly:


• My wife is rich and successful, therefore all women can be.
• There is no such thing as gender disparity.
• I know there is no such thing as gender disparity because I have never seen it.
• If there is such a thing as gender disparity, it's up to women to deal with it.


Here's what Lally said:

I look at women's issues like any other issue. We have equal rights in this country, we have fought -- women have fought very hard for those equal rights. Uh, it's up to them. I mean my wife is a working woman, she works very, very hard and she's been very successful. I've not seen any barriers in her career and I don't believe that exists.


Watch the exchange from the debate, as clipped by Democrats in Kentucky (Watch the whole debate here):


Video:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-43AM_s37so&feature=player_embedded>



cont'

<http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/10/ky-goper-just-doesnt-believe-in-gender-discrimination-video.php?ref=fpb>

[FLyellowdog]

1. I wonder...

if he'd be interested in my personal story about being a private school teacher who was actually told that my salary wouldn't be as high as a comparably licensed/experienced male teacher because "he has a family to raise". My job was a second income to my husband's, sooooooooooooooooo..... I quit. :grr:

[Segami]

3. Democrats should be beating the heads of republican candidates with his position.

[kenny blankenship]

2. Give him a sex change operation and maybe (s)he'll begin to see it.

On further reflection I think it would do him a world of good.