Yes, he did:

Republican Sen. John McCain, campaigning through poverty-stricken cities and towns, said Wednesday he opposes a Senate bill that seeks equal pay for women because it would lead to more lawsuits.

Senate Republicans killed the bill Wednesday night on a 56-42 vote that denied the measure the 60 votes needed to advance it to full debate and a vote. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., had delayed the vote to give McCain’s Democratic rivals, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, time to return to Washington to support the measure, which would make it easier for women to sue their employers for pay discrimination.

McCain skipped the vote to campaign in New Orleans.

“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.” […]

McCain stated his opposition to the bill as he campaigned in rural eastern Kentucky, where poverty is worse among women than men. The Arizona senator said he was familiar with the disparity but that there are better ways to help women find better paying jobs.

“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 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.

In other words, women on average aren’t earning less than men because of gender (and racial) discrimination; we’re earning less because we’re stupid and uneducated. We deserve it.

Way to woo the ladies, Johnny boy.

Oh, and regarding his asinine comment that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act would “open us up to lawsuits for all kinds of problems,” I’ll echo what Cara said: “um, assholes, that’s the point.” Fucking. Duh.

CREDO Action has a petition to McCain here. Be nice.

[Previous stops on the Straight Talk Express: one, two and three.]

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Tagged: john mccain 2008 elections straight talk express women feminism misogyny fair pay gender discrimination civil rights fair pay act Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act