News Roundup for 8/20/10

OK sweetheart, now go back to your powder puffs or bonbons or whatever

-Headline of the day-
"Chamber Of Commerce COO Apologizes For 'Ridiculous' Post Blaming Women For The Gender Wage Gap ."

Yesterday, the US Chamber of Commerce's blog featured a post by Brad Peck that blamed women for the pay gap between men and women. Turns out that women should just choose higher paying jobs or marry rich guys. It's so easy. Of course, we all know about women drivers, so you know how good they are at making decisions.

That didn't go over too well with the ladies, who nagged and nagged and nagged the Chamber until they issued an apology. Saying Peck's post was "simplistic and misguided," Chamber Chief Operating Officer David Chavern shot the whole thing down. Peck's post was an "argument from the 1960's," he said. "The 'glass ceiling' is real and simply blaming it on women's work-life choices is ridiculous." Still, some are unimpressed.

According to the report, "Unfortunately, the Chamber of Commerce has a long history of opposing legislation that would improve women s lives. From opposing the Pregnancy Discrimination Act to lobbying against legislation that would allow rape victims to bring lawsuits against their employers, the Chamber s record is firmly anti-woman."

What, it's not enough to apologize for being sexist now? You have to do something about it? It just never ends with you women's-libbers, does it? (Think Progress)


-Backing the wrong horse-
You might remember just a few days ago when talk radio advice-person-thingy "Dr. Laura" tried to set the world record for saying the n-word the most times in less than a minute. Unfortunately, she failed and that record still belongs to former game show host Wink Martindale (not really. I just think Wink Martindale is a really funny name and wanted to drop it just once in a roundup Woohoo! Mission accomplished!).

Anyway Dr. Laura pretended to quit so people wouldn't know she got fired. And then Sarah Palin rode to her defense on the twitter-machine. "Dr.Laura:don't retreat...reload! (Steps aside bc her 1st Amend.rights ceased 2exist thx 2activists trying 2silence'isn't American,not fair')" Palin pounded out -- apparently with a pair of hammers.

"Dr.Laura=even more powerful & effective w/out the shackles, so watch out Constitutional obstructionists. And b thankful 4 her voice,America!" she followed up.

"OMG! 2b snowmachine&Dr.Laura=flag grizzly , boy howdy!" she tweetled later.

All this "Yay for the n-word!" activism on Sarah's part had some taken aback. Black Republicans said Palin was "no longer fit to lead," "might finally have gone too far," and admitted "Sarah Palin scares me."

Join the club, guys. (Raw Story)


-Bonus HotD-
"After defending Dr. Laura, Palin will help Glenn Beck 'reclaim the civil rights movement'."

Apparently, they're going to reclaim it from people who are for civil rights. (Media Matters)


-Extra bonus HotD-
"Thirteen Really Muslim Things Obama has Done."

A slideshow proving that 1 in 5 Americans are really, really stupid. (New York Magazine)